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Why teen football stars are fading, Amuneke, others explain

By Daily Sports Nigeria on February 12, 2025

African Footballer of The Year winner, Emmanuel Amuneke, and other grassroots coaches have attributed the decline in teenage football stars from Nigeria to poor youth development and lack of opportunities, The PUNCH reports.

While countries like Spain continue to A teenage sensations like Lamine Yamal, who helped La Roja win Euro 2024, Nigeria has struggled to nurture young talents to prominence in recent years.

This stands in stark contrast to previous eras that saw teenage stars like legendary Pele, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo all made their mark as teenagers.

Samuel Chukwueze is the only player in the current Super Eagles squad born in Nigeria to make his debut as a teenager doing so at 19 in a friendly against Uganda. Since then, there have been no signs that other teens in the country are ready for the stage.

“We have players, Nigeria has never fallen short of players. If you develop what you have, you can see them start playing but when you don’t believe in your youths, how do you expect them to play? Spain believe in their youths and they develop them and gave them that opportunity to grow,” Amuneke told The PUNCH.

The 1994 AFCON winner credits his own early development to the late Yemi Tella, who gave him opportunities as a youth player.

“I came through that rank of playing from youth even when I was in the school, I was playing for a club because I was given the opportunity by late coach Yemi Tella,” Amuneke added.

Tella, who died in 2007 aged 56, left an indelible mark on Nigerian football, leading the country to victory at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. His achievement earned him the 2007 African Coach of The Year award and the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic medal from then-President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Former Super Falcons assistant coach Mansur Abdullahi believes the problem lies in the follow-up process after talent identification.

“We have talents in the country but the issue is the procedure of getting them to the next level and into good academies. These talents when discovered, are not followed up,” Abdullahi said.

Gideon Adeyemi, who coaches at Sparrow Football Academy, highlighted systemic issues preventing young talents from reaching their potential.

“There are players of that level but because of the situations in Nigeria, the talents are lost,” Adeyemi told our correspondent.

The insights from these coaches suggest that while Nigeria continues to produce talented youngsters, the lack of structured development pathways and limited opportunities are hampering their progress to the highest level.

Unlike when Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Nwakali and Chukwueze were slowly integrated into the national team after their exploits winning the 2015 U-17 World Cup, there is currently no teenage talent making the Eagles squads, not necessarily for an appearance but also to understudy.

This can be linked to Nigeria missing the 2023 U-17 World Cup, which Adeyemi blames on corruption.

“The country is not helping, it is not supporting the footballers that we have. No one is ready to take them out and expose them to the world. You can’t even make it to the national team without connection and money.

“The players who should make the teams aren’t there because they don’t know someone that can get them there even with their talent,” he said.

Source Punch Ng

Posted February 12, 2025