By Daily Sports Nigeria on July 14, 2023
Air Peace CEO, Allen Onyema, firmly believes that the secondary school football teams of the 1980s would triumph over the present-day Super Eagles if they were to meet on the pitch, The PUNCH reports.
The Nigeria senior team has only won four of their nine games under new manager Jose Peseiro, losing the remaining five, with the side scoring 18 goals and conceding 15.
Perhaps, the recent results may have influenced Onyema’s assertion.
“Those days used to be very tough. In fact, secondary school games in those days used to be tough. I remember when I played for Government College, Ughelli, they even killed one of our school boys in Agbarho (Delta State). It used to be tough in those days,” Onyema told The PUNCH.
“Let me tell you, secondary school teams in the 70s will beat our national team of today. The present national team will be nowhere near the secondary school teams of yesteryear. I’m not talking about clubs, those days, secondary school teams were unlike these days,” he said.
The 59-year-old lamented the dearth of sporting facilities in schools.
“Today, secondary schools are now in two-storey buildings, no compound, no playground. Everybody is protective of their child, nobody allows the child to go out again to experience the street life,” Onyema added.
He advocated for the use of football as a means to generate employment opportunities and called on the government to prioritise sports.
“We should use football to create jobs. I call on this government to look into sports, if they can invest in it and make the place safe for people to go and recreate on weekends, we will bring back that followership. It will still happen again,” the entrepreneur said.
Source Punch Ng
Posted July 14, 2023
You may also like...
Osimhen: I’m Jealous Of Bundesliga Players
Kidnapped Enyimba Star Dayo Ojo Regains Freedom
Arsenal gun for Ndidi
Football icon David Beckham awarded knighthood
Angelique Kerber knocked out of Us Open
Dembele On Rampage As Lyon Stun Man City...

Nnadozie books final spot as Ajibade, Echegini lose title in France
Peter Obi congratulates Osimhen on Turkish league triumph
Edem launches West Africa basketball tourney in Lagos
Uche felt I don’t like him – Glasner
Ejuke gets ‘Jay-Jay’ nickname amid EPL links
International Sambo Federation hails blind Nigerian athletes
2030 Commonwealth Games Podium Target: NOC President Hails Netball Revival
Aina doubtful for Villa’s Europa League clash
Oyebanji labels Oyebode football tourney talent pipeline
Adeshina bags Texas Tech student-athlete award
Portable challenges Davido, Zlatan after Carter Efe defeat
Inter plot €8m Akinsanmiro buy back after Pisa sale
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,763 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,087 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,021 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,608 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,532 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,432 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,276 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,831 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,016 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,516 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,938 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,392 views)