AJIBADE OLUSESAN 
Former Nigeria U-17 winger and member of the 1989 Golden Eaglets squad, Jide Oguntuase, has expressed serious concern over the poor state of youth football in the country. In this exclusive interview with AJIBADE OLUSESAN, the ex-international spoke on the Eaglets’ recent failure to qualify for the U-17 AFCON and World Cup, how favouritism is killing talent, and why the country must return to merit if the country want to see progress again.
The Golden Eaglets recently lost 2-0 to Ghana and crashed out of the WAFU B tournament. That means they won’t be at the U-17 AFCON or the World Cup. How did that make you feel, especially as someone who played at that level for Nigeria?
Honestly, I felt very bad. It was painful to hear that result. This is a tournament Nigeria usually qualifies for without too much trouble, and we’ve won it many times. We were even the first country to win it.
It’s shocking that we’re now failing at the WAFU level. Nigeria has won the FIFA U-17 World Cup five times, more than any other country in the world. But since we last won it in 2015, we’ve now failed to qualify for four editions. That’s not normal for a big football nation like ours.
U-17 football is very important because it helps us discover young players who can grow to become big stars for the Super Eagles. But now, the system is not working. Something is wrong, and we must talk about it.
So what do you think is the real problem with youth football in Nigeria today?
To be honest, the problem is not lack of talent. We have good players in this country. The issue is that we are not training and selecting players the right way.
Everything is now based on who you know, not what you can do. People are being selected for national teams because they know someone at the top, not because they are the best. Same thing with coaches and team officials, it’s all about connections and godfatherism.
That’s why we are not moving forward. Some people have stayed too long in certain positions like coaching or team manager roles. It’s like they think the job belongs to them or their family.
Meanwhile, we have so many qualified people in this country, including former players, who are ready to help, but nobody is looking at them Until we remove favoritism and do things based on merit, we will keep having these same problems. Nigeria is too big to be failing at the youth level.
Coach Manu Garba was brought back to lead the team after failing to qualify two years ago. Do you think the authorities made the right decision bringing him back?
Manu Garba is a good coach and he has done well for Nigeria in the past. Nobody can take that away from him. But after he failed two years ago, I expected another person to be given the chance. We have many good coaches in Nigeria, especially former internationals who have played the game and are now coaching full-time.
But most of them are not given any opportunity. People like Taribo West have spoken up about this. We, the former players, know what it means to play for Nigeria. We have worn the boots.
We have made sacrifices. We understand what it takes to succeed. But today, people who have never played football at any serious level are the ones getting top positions in the national teams.
Why? Look at the Flying Eagles, for example. One man has been team manager there for 5 to 10 years. Why? Are there no other qualified people? This kind of thing must stop. We need change.
You played at the U-17 World Cup in Scotland in 1989. How was preparation back then compared to what we are seeing now?
In our own time, we were discovered from street football. We didn’t go to academies. We were just playing ball in our neighbourhoods and people came to scout us. That was how I and many others were picked. Also, when we were selected, we stayed in camp for a long time — sometimes up to two years.
We trained in many parts of the country, Lagos, Bauchi, Maiduguri, etc. It helped us bond like family, and the coaches were able to see talent from every corner of Nigeria.
But now, things are different. Coaches are appointed very late and only have a short time to prepare. Training camps are held only in Abuja or Calabar. That limits the chances of discovering talents from other places. Look at the last CHAN team, they picked 7 players from just one club, Remo Stars, because the club won the league. But national team is not about just one club or one region.
You must pick the best players across the country. For example, the captain of Abia Warriors was not invited. That is not fair. We need to return to real scouting and give coaches enough time to prepare. Personally, I’m working on my CAF B license now, because I want to help the youth teams in future.
Let’s talk about the Super Eagles. They’re also struggling to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Although the dynamics in Group C of the qualifiers changed after FIFA deducted three points and three goals from South Africa for fielding an ineligible player in one of their matches Do you think Nigeria still has a chance of making it to the Mundial next year?
Yes, I believe we still have a chance. But the players need to wake up now and raise their performance. We must beat both Lesotho and Benin Republic in our next game, that is very important. If we win those games, we can get up to 17 points, and that might help us qualify, depending on how South Africa plays.
It’s a bit tricky, but there is still hope. But if we fail to qualify again, that would be the second World Cup in a row that Nigeria will miss. That would be a big shame for our football.
Some Nigerians are saying the people in the NFF who are in charge of football in the country should step down if the Eagles evetually lost the World Cup ticket. Do you agree?
Well, I will say yes and no. The board members are not the ones playing the matches. The players are the ones on the pitch. The coach also gives instructions, but he cannot go and play the game for the players.
However, the board must also take responsibility. They are the ones appointing coaches. If the team keeps failing under their watch, then they have questions to answer.
So if the people at the top are not doing the right thing, then maybe it’s time to allow others to try. At the end of the day, it’s about results. Nigerians want to see results, not excuses.
Finally, the Flying Eagles are currently in action at the ongooing FIFA U-20 World Cup. What is your advice to them as they continue in the tournament?
The Flying Eagles are the only team left now representing us at youth level. So my advice to them is simple: they must give their best and make the country proud. Even if they don’t win the tournament, they should at least reach the semi-finals or the final.
They should play with heart and unity, and remember that over 200 million Nigerians are behind them. Let them know that this is their time to shine. They are the future of Nigerian football, and they must not take it for granted.
