The Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Football Association, Alhaji Adam Mouktar Mohammed, has called for the immediate sack of the coaching crew of the National U-17 team, the Golden Eaglets.
His call is coming on the recent failure of the five-time world champions to qualify for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup at the ongoing AFCON in Algeria.
Led by a former international, Nduka Ugbade, the Golden Eaglets lost 1-2 to Burkina Faso in the quarter-final of the 2023 AFCON as they also failed to qualify for the next edition of the FIFA World Championship.
Yesterday, the social media was awash with reports that Ugbade and his assistants were sacked by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) but there was no official confirmation from the game’s governing body.
However, Mouktar who spoke to Daily Trust yesterday called on the NFF to sack Nduka Ugbade and his assistants without further delay as he said there must be repercussions for failure.
Mouktar, who is a member of the Three-man National Teams Advisory Committee set up by the NFF president, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, in October last year, maintained that the sack of the failed coaches would serve as a deterrent to others.
According to him, when coaches who have failed to deliver on their assignment are allowed to continue in their positions, it sends a dangerous signal that the NFF is ready to condone mediocrity.
“I am speaking in the best interest of our football. I have nothing personal against the coaches. They have done their best but it is not good enough. It is indeed disastrous that as five-time world champions, the Golden Eaglets have failed to qualify for the next World Cup.
“The way forward is to immediately sack the coaches so that whoever is taking over from them will be more serious. There should be repercussions for failure. Once you fail, you should go because Nigerian football deserves the best. We have to tell ourselves the truth,” said Mouktar.
The vice-president of Nigeria Teqball Federation (NIGTEQ), therefore, said there shouldn’t be anything like a second chance for the coaches because they have failed to take their chances.
Mouktar, however, advised that the NFF should retain and continue to monitor some of the players in the team who distinguished themselves in Algeria.
