The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says it will longer condone the invitation of foreign-based players to the Golden Eaglets and Flamingoes categories of the national teams npflupdates.com reports.
The president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has made it clear that only locally bred footballers can make it to the Golden Eaglets and Flamingoes respectively.
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The football executive stated this during a one-day FIFA Talent developmental programme in Abuja last week.
According to Gusau, the federation can only invite talented prospective footballers who they know their abilities, and capabilities.
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“Before NFF will invite any child to the national U17 camp, we must know the ability of the child, wether he is capable or not,” Gusau was quoted by Totorinews.
“This can only happen through the various U17 tournament that will be organized from the state to zonal and the national.
“We are going to select U-17 player from these developmental tournament across Nigeria.”
Speaking further, Gusau highlighted that the best and capable talents can also be harnessed from the youth tournaments in NLO and NPFL.
“Also the youth tournaments from NLO and the NPFL. The NPFL will organize youth tournaments for their U17 teams and that is how the NFF will select talented young Nigerian footballers to play for the national U17 teams,” he continued.
Advising football scouts, parents and guardians, Gusau said it’s of importance that parents start registering their wards for any organised NFF age-grade tournament.
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“If you hear that NFF will be organizing U17 developmental tournament in your states and you have talented young footballers, make sure they participate because that is the only place we will identify the.”
To me, this a healthy development in our soccer administration and management. This will translate to grassroots talent discovery that will eventually metamorphose into our senior national team.