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Chief Coach of Nigeria’s Under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, John Obuh is regretting that the job he recently grabbed with excitement is gradually slipping to doom.
The coach has been swimming in the turbulent waters since crisis crippled his preparation of the Golden Eaglets for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup billed to take place in Nigeria next month.
The former Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin coach, told journalists in Abuja that the situation he found himself with the Eaglets is one no coach would pray to have. He pointed out that changing players almost on weekly basis for one reason or the other is not healthy for any coach, not even the best in the world. He said it would take a miracle for the team to perform well in the global cadets’ event when it eventually kicks off.
"Inasmuch as I support the MRI age test, I am of the view that the timing of the test was not right. How can you disqualify about 16 players with three months to a major tournament and still expect to get their replacements to blend and play at an expected level? It is not fair and I must confess that it has not been easy," Coach Obuh began.
"To tell you the truth, I have never in all my years of coaching, face the kind of test and hardship I am going through at the moment, trying to build a team that will at least form the bedrock of Nigerian soccer revolution. I am overworked, but I am not complaining because I am committed to ensure that majority of the players, who will emerge from the tournament, will go on to play for Super Eagles in the near future.
"It is not completely a hopeless situation, but I don’t think I can assure Nigerians that I can win the World Cup with the team I have for the championship.
"We are still building a team when other countries are perfecting their strategies for the World Cup. However, we shall give it our best and allow God’s will to be done," he continued.
"I cannot resign because my job is a national assignment and I believe that posterity will not forgive me if I abandon the young talents we have discovered in the course of rebuilding the Golden Eaglets, who had passed through two senior coaches before me. I see the future of Nigerian football in the crop of players we have in camp because they are truly Under-17.
"I may not win the upcoming World Cup with the team, but mark my words, the boys we have in camp will grow to form the core of Super Eagles by 2014 and they will remain on the scene for quite a long time. True rebranding of Nigerian football has begun and I am happy I am part of it," stated the coach, who made his mark with Niger Tornadoes and Kwara United football clubs.
On his recent playing tour of the Gambia, Coach Obuh said it was a good one, though he did not get the kind of opposition he had expected from the tour, "but it was a good exposure for the players," he said.
Obuh stated that Nigeria is blessed with talented youngsters, who could fly the country’s flag at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup next month, but regretted that he had little or no time to fish them out and develop them to his taste.
"I am encouraged with the progress and talents of the players in camp. That has made me not to resign my appointment despite the unhealthy atmosphere in camp. I am a patriot and I believe in this country, I will struggle to the end," he vowed.
The coach, however, expressed confidence that the country would put up a credible performance at the upcoming Under-17 World Cup despite the recent age scandal.
"The MRI age test recently conducted in the team is good and a welcomed idea, I appreciate it just like every other right-thinking citizen of this country. But now, we have to get together and work harder to achieve our collective goal. We are still very positive about achieving success at the Under-17 World Cup.
"I am optimistic that if the boys put up the same fighting spirit they showed in some of our friendly games, especially the one against the Flying Eagles (the national Under-20 team) recently, I am sure the age test episode will not affect our overall performance in the world tournament," he added.
"The team have yet to get to the peak level, we just past the halfway mark and hopefully, before the World Cup gets underway, we would be close to our full potentialities."
In the meantime, the Golden Eaglets are set to embark on a European tour, which will see them engaging top countries like England and Austria in warm-up games.
"We are scheduled to play friendly matches against Uruguay, England, Austria and the Gambia. We expect to leave the country at the weekend," the coach revealed.
Nigeria are drawn in Group A of the Under-17 World Cup, alongside Argentina, Germany and Honduras.
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