Leadership (Abuja)
Vincent Ekhoragbon
11 November 2008
Gombe — Ex-international and former Super Eagles handler, Austin Eguavoen says academic pursuit alongside the premium players place on football is the panacea to the development of the game in Nigeria.
His opinion is against the backdrop of the belief that most players' low intelligence due to neglect of education is one of the paramount factors accounting for the slow development of the game in the country.
The veteran therefore advocates the need for intending and upcoming Nigerian footballers strive to acquire at least basic educational qualification while they develop their careers side-by-side.
"With education, it would be easier for both players and coaches to experiment and develop new ideas because that would broaden the players' horizon, sharpen their I.Q and to teach them as well as embolden and enable them ask intelligent questions where necessary, he insists.
The Enyimba International FC Chief Coach, who played in the 1982 edition of U-16 Gothia Cup competition in Gothenburg, Sweden where he was nicknamed after Brazil's Cerezo of Spain '82 World Cup fame, also emphasised the need to return to grassroots soccer if the country must sustain her place of pride in the game.
His words: "One of the ways forward for Nigeria soccer is to go to the archives, retrieve grassroots soccer file, return to the drawing board and design a workable and sustainable programme for the grassroots so there can always be a ready pool to fetch talents when the need arises".
Having a feeders' team is not equally a bad idea for the teams that can afford it, advised the veteran defence ace who above all told youngsters to be conscious of discipline, obedience and national pride as it is always easier to achieve success than managing it.
On 2010 Mundial in South Africa, Austin Eguavoen believes Nigeria's hope of qualifying is bright but warned that no team must be taken for granted if the hope must be actualised.
Though somewhat concerned about the sound technicality and tactfulness of the North Africans, he is optimistic the Eagles' superior track records over them would be stretched at the end of the qualifiers.
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