President of Team Nigeria UK (TNUK), David Doherty, claims that players are being invited to the national age-grade teams not always on merit but on who can pay to be invited.
You have been at the forefront of youth development in football. How has the journey been for you so far?
The journey has been awesome and great coming from the side of the UK and moving into Nigeria. It is not bad but very difficult. You know in every journey there are always hurdles along the way. The good thing about it is that if you are determined and passionate about doing something, the hurdles turn around to be fun and stand as challenges and make us better in what we do. It has been amazing, but in Nigeria, there is a long way to go and achieve. We have started and we will get there.
As a sports administrator yourself and having played for the country, what do you think is the problem of Nigerian football and how can we bring back the glory days?
It is two different things coming from an angle of a player who has played in the Nigerian league and a part of the U-20 national side but didn’t play an official game for the senior team and then moving into coaching and administration in the same game. The problem is that we don’t have good administrators, people who really want to make a difference in this game. We have not seen the progress as it is the same thing over the years. Another thing is organizational structure. They may have it on paper but it is not being put to play. I think we don’t have good structures and plans for the future. The part of corruption is a big problem and it has to do with the system and the state itself called Nigeria. It is something that is eating into every sector of our country and it is affecting our football. A lot of things are just being kept in the pocket of some individuals and it is telling on the pitch.
We see our local clubs performing woefully in CAF competitions. Who is to blame? The administrators, the club owners or the players?
I think all are to be blamed but to be honest, a fair share to the players. However, the people that run the league are to be blamed as they are not consistent since they don’t have the development and improvement of the league at heart. They are just there to get money off it. Go to other African leagues; they are up to date as things are moving. Politics is the bane of the league’s development. When other leagues were on, what we were seeing was clubs partaking in Governors Cup.
The age-grade teams have not been doing so well compared to the past. As a youth development coach, what do you think is missing from the present crop of players?
The only thing is that we define age-grade football just to win. The philosophy and direction around it from the NFF and the administrator is just about winning and that is where politics come in. And it is the problem. It is not helping the players, coaches and administrators. We have won the World Cup the most but up to this moment, we don’t have a youth league. We started something around it last year. Clubs don’t have youth sides and most of the academies scattered across the country don’t have proper young people in it. What we have are aged men claiming to be underage. Players are not picked on merit but those who pay good money. If you notice well, the players come from certain academies.
You have been a major critic of the NFF and the Super Eagles coach. Do you think Rohr can achieve what the late Stephen Keshi did by winning the AFCON for us? Is there something we are not seeing that the NFF is seeing in Rohr to have given him a new contract?
I criticize NFF and praise them when they have done well. I constructively criticize Rohr and appraise him. There should be someone checkmating these people. There is nothing super about Rohr, I don’t see anything different in the squad except to bring in younger players from Europe. But what is being done to the home-based players
Recently you gave reasons why Bukayo Saka dumped Nigeria for England. Are you in support of Nigeria headhunting such players while ignoring Nigerian-born player?
Every players’ dream is to be okay for England. Trust me. If you put 10 players down in Europe that are of Nigerian descent, nine of them will choose England over Nigeria. There are so many benefits of playing for England over Nigeria. Again, the parents also influence them based on their perception of Nigeria. We do our best to play for Nigeria but if they don’t, it shouldn’t be a problem. Nigeria will always be the second option. Most of the players they bring are often average players that can’t get an England call up. Let’s improve players back home, they can do and they have done it in the past.
How much impact has Team Nigeria UK had in the development of football in Nigeria? Any progress or setback in this mission?
We have created a league for private and public schools in Nigeria and done a lot in supporting grassroots football by giving kits. We provide first aid training to schools across the country on a monthly basis. We have a school we go to and do all these. The league season will kick off in February due to COVID-19 restrictions. The public school management authorities push us around. We have kept up with our plans with the private schools and hopefully, we will get to public schools.
Briefly, give us your experience in the national team?
It was a great experience I can never forget. Back then, it was sweet with Pius Ikedia, Kafaar Mohammed etc. with Tunde Disu. It was a great atmosphere in the camp. It is every player’s dream to wear the colours of Nigeria. I may not have played officially but it was great being around the team at the U-20 level.
If called upon to serve in any position in the youth teams, will you accept the role?
This is dependent on the role actually but not as a coach. I am getting away from coaching. But as an administrator or a technical assistant, I can do that but on a part-time basis. We are open to support and lend our hands. The system needs a thorough flush out, many heads need to roll for the system to be clean. The system is so corrupt that if you bring 10 of me, we will get corrupted. If we don’t follow their routine, one will get into trouble. Corruption will fight back.
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