Ezeugo, Chukwuemeka Urge NFF to Address Nigeria’s Youth Football Decline

Posted : 19 October 2026

Former Super Eagles midfielder Emeka Ezeugo and ex-JIB Rocks defender Theodore Chukwuemeka have called for urgent reforms in Nigerian youth football following the Golden Eaglets’ elimination from the 2026 WAFU-B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso. They believe poor administration, corruption and the collapse of traditional talent-development structures have contributed to the country's declining standards.

Nigeria's hopes of reaching the semi-finals ended on Saturday after the Golden Eaglets drew 1-1 with Côte d’Ivoire. The result followed a 2-1 defeat to Niger Republic in their opening Group B match, leaving the five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions unable to advance.

The elimination means Nigeria will miss the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations for the third consecutive edition. It also extends the country's absence from the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where the Golden Eaglets last competed in 2019.

Ezeugo blamed patronage and corruption for the repeated setbacks. He argued that meaningful progress would require football stakeholders to confront administrative problems instead of protecting individuals in positions of authority.

“Stakeholders must come together to rescue the game from scavengers feeding fat on it instead of proffering ideas for football development,” Ezeugo said.

He also called for a football summit where knowledgeable stakeholders could openly discuss the challenges affecting the sport. According to him, Nigeria cannot rebuild its football system if administrators surround themselves with people unwilling to challenge poor decisions.

Ezeugo added that the ongoing restructuring of Nigerian football must go beyond replacing officials. He believes deeper institutional changes are necessary to address the problems affecting the game.

Chukwuemeka also identified weaknesses in grassroots development as a major concern. He called for the restoration of structures that previously supplied talented players to Nigeria's national youth teams.

He recalled how organisations such as the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) and Pepsi Football Academy helped identify and develop young players during the country's more successful years.

Chukwuemeka cited players such as Mikel Obi, Chinedu Obasi, the Babangida brothers, Victor Nsofor and Solomon Abwo as examples of talents associated with the Pepsi Academy pathway. Several of these players later contributed to Nigeria's achievements at international youth and Olympic competitions.

He lamented that many established development pathways have disappeared, while poorly equipped football academies have become increasingly common.

According to Chukwuemeka, rebuilding a reliable grassroots system would help Nigeria identify better prospects and prepare them for international competition. He stressed the need for a serious assessment of how young players are discovered, trained and developed.

Meanwhile, Nigeria's struggles at youth level extend beyond the men's U-17 team. The Flamingos lost their opening match at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Poland.

The Nigerian girls must now respond against Puerto Rico on October 20 before facing defending champions North Korea on October 23. Results in those matches will determine whether they can progress from Group B.

The latest setbacks have intensified calls for the Nigeria Football Federation to strengthen youth development, improve grassroots scouting and establish more effective pathways for emerging players.

Ezeugo, Chukwuemeka Urge NFF to Address Nigeria’s Youth Football Decline

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