Nigeria to focus on youth

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has said that the country needs to revisit its youth football policies if it hopes to return to the summit of the game.

Nigerian football has had a very tough year after the country failed to qualify for major tournaments that are set to take place next year.

The senior national team could not qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and the male and female Olympic teams also failed to qualify for the London 2012 games.

“For us to truly develop the system, the Under-17 team should be taken as developmental group and we (ought to) de-emphasise the ‘win’ mentality,” Keshi said.

“We need to go back to high schools and start nurturing these kids at 13 and 14 years. Let them just learn the tactical and later they can start thinking of winning.”

“Tell me, how many of those kids that played the FIFA Under-17 World Cup play Under-20 and how many are playing in Under-23 today?”

“We need to develop our football at the Under-17 stage. The Under-20 is where you inculcate the winning attitude; but in Under-17 you simply develop the skills.”

“In developed countries, you have feeders. But you don’t have a 25-year-old and call him a feeder.”