Aliyu Zubairu, the technical adviser for El-Kanemi Warriors, shared his thoughts on why African players often face challenges when trying to make it big on the world stage. Speaking at the U-13 Kiddies Football Competition in Ilorin on Saturday, January 11, Zubairu pointed out that poor nurturing and a lack of proper data collection are major obstacles to the growth of football in Africa.
He explained that these issues make it harder for young players to transition from their early potential to becoming international stars.
The young coach believes that if talented kids receive the right training and have their progress tracked properly, they can reach their full potential.
Zubairu also called on the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), local football associations, and the national federation to play a bigger role in finding and supporting young talents.
“The pedigree of players I have seen here at this U-13 level shows that Nigeria has a very bright future in football,” Zubairu said on Saturday, January 11.
