Manu Garba Advises Bosso, NFF On WAFU Success

Manu Garba Advises Bosso, NFF On WAFU Success

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By Niyi Busari

Former Golden Eaglets head coach, Manu Garba has said explained the roles the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Flying Eagles head coach need to play for a successful outing at the 2022 WAFU B Championship in Niger Republic.

Nigeria are grouped alongside Ghana and Burkina Faso in the 2022 WAFU B Championship where two of the three countries qualify for the semi-final. The competition also serves as qualifier for the U20 African Nations Cup where World Cup ticket would be picked.

Reacting to the tournament, the former FIFA U17 World Cup winner said Ladan Bosso should invite many experienced Nigeria Professional Football League players to get together a formidable team in a short time. He added that the team should be exposed to international friendly matches before the tournament.

"With three weeks to go in this competition, my only advice to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation is that players in the league that have experience of the tournament must be included in the squad and play at least two international friendlies to gain some exposure." The former Flying Eagles coach told BSN Sports.

He predicted a tough tournament for the team in Niger but advised that prompt payment of match bonuses and allowances will go a long way in encouraging the players giving out their best in the pitch.

"It is going to be very tough at the WAFU tournament because we have the likes of Ghana that have been in camp for long, Burkina Faso is a very good side too but Nigeria is a powerful house whenever it comes to youth tournament and the other thing that can also help the team is that the NFF and the Federal government need to motivate the team in terms of paying their allowances and match bonuses, it will go along way to make the team performance very well because I could remember the team that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Dubai 2013, that was the best team in the history of U-17 World Cup. They scored 25 goals in 7 matches and conceded just 4 goals. 

"I must say right from the qualifiers to the Nations Cup to the World Cup, the day we play our matches that is the very day the NFF paid our match bonuses but not the case as of now. 

"The NFF needs to revisit that side for the motivation of the players, I think this will go a long way."