Emmanuel Zira, chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL) club side, Adamawa United, says Nigeria did not present the best coaches and players at the Under-20 World Cup in Poland.
Zira said this on Tuesday in Abuja following Flying Eagles’ ouster from the tournament after a 1-2 loss to Senegal in the Round of 16 matches at Lodz Stadium on Monday.
The football administrator, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the aim of youth competitions was to get replacement for the senior teams and not necessarily to win tournaments.
He noted that the above philosophy was not projected by the team’s coaches making the early exit necessary.
“Coaches go for the best hands and those within the age of the tournament. Youth football is not for the aged.
“In fact, Nigeria did not go with the best set of coaches. The lack of technical depth as well as the wrong players presented very poor performance.
“The Zenth Bank Under-15 championship and the Channels Kids Cup provide an array of talents which coaches should pick from. We should be concerned about developing a potent side for the senior team,’’ he said.
Nigeria reached the Round of 16 via the best losers slot after finishing with four points in Group D.
The tournament, which began on May 23, would end on June 15.
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