Understanding Nigeria's Football Philosophy - What It's All About?

 

Written by Benson Chukwueke, a Sport Marketing and Management Professional. President and CEO of FantaXtik. A great mind when it comes to football ideologies and in depth knowledge implementations, to deliver satisfactory football utility on a global scale.

One thing I will do if I am given opportunity to serve as President of Nigeria Football Federation is to fix or craft what we may call the Nigerian Football Philosophy...upon which we would build the right structures and systems to achieve our expected lofty heights.

I know you may say, "if wishes were horses..." But I don't think our football will move forward without a philosophy every stakeholder clearly understands and pursue. Let's not allow the grammar "Football Philosophy" make it sound like some mystical inventions or a rocket science.

I wrote a masterpiece - "What is Football Philosophy?  Some Notable Football Philosophy and Philosophers in World Football" - I recommend you read it.

What is Football Philosophy?

Philosophy itself is a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour, approaches and innate reasons behind certain actions. There are several side to football philosophy, but here we will be looking at Football coaching and team philosophies.

Football coaching and team philosophy include the objectives or purpose of coaching, your approach to coaching, your values,  your principles and your team approach to the game. 

It may also refer to football culture that has evolved overtime in certain countries. The way a certain people play their football, their approach to the game, style of play and what they strongly enjoy and beliefs about the game,  even mythology that surrounds the game.

The Question Is: Does Nigeria have a football philosophy? 

I don't think so, but there may such philosophy in our football psyche that have not been brought to the fore. It hasn't been officially discussed and officially crafted as a written document. so that the problem.

How to Reach Our Lofty Expectations -Seyi Olofinjana

Seyi Olofinjana, who won over 50 caps for the Super Eagles, believes there needs to be a change of attitude for Nigeria to match its lofty expectations.

“The talents have never been the problem of Nigeria. I think it (the problem) is in the philosophy, it’s in the structure,” he told BBC Sport Africa.

Austin Eguavoen Explains - Nigerian Football Philosophy 

“ Our philosophy is going to be based on, first of all, wing play, strength, technique and football intelligence. We have seen it work for Nigeria in the past. it is the style we like and comfortable to play and get results.

Austin Eguavoen explains Nigerian Football Philosophy - Watch the Video

With great wingers like Segun Odegbami, Adokiye Amiesimaka, Humphrey Edobor, Friday Elaho, Emmanuel Amuneke, Finidi George and Tijani Babangida, the Eagles thrived on wing-play back in the day, but Eguavoen believes there is need to be ‘flexible’.

“You have to use players that are available at a particular time,” the ex-Gent defender said. “And we all know, before now, what made Nigerian teams successful.

“In the eras of (Segun) Odegbami, he was very speedy, Adokiye Amiesimaka was not so speedy, but technically, very strong. And we had Finidi George, we had (Sam) Okpodu, we had (Tijani) Babangida, Humphrey Edobor on the left side and also (Emmanuel) Amuneke and so on and so forth. And we had top strikers and one playing behind them.

“So, that’s what we are trying to build now from the grassroots, because it is not something you just bring in.”

Eguavoen, who led Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2006 AFCON in Egypt, also highlighted the importance of building a playing philosophy from the grassroots.

“But our grassroots now, we have to let them know from a very young age, how we want (them to play) and the kind of players that we want,” he added.

“So, the quality we are looking for in players….you have to be intelligent, you have to be quick and you have to be strong.

“So, once we put that together, whoever that is coming in can now have a formation based on all those qualities.”

Nigeria Has No Clear Football Philosophy -Nduka Ugbade

Nigeria does not have a clear football philosophy.”  Ugbade told www.brila.net. 

The formation at a given time is not the philosophy. It will be looking back at the critical success factors for us as a country, and crafting it into a philosophy. 

It is not just the formation. Of course, the formation will be there, but it is the philosophy that guide what formation to play. It is the attitude, It is the developmental strategy, the support and the understanding from government and from those that manage our football. It will determine the type of coaches we hire, does their coaching own coaching philosophy align? It will determine the kind of players that can be part of our national teams nomenclature. 

So what we want to do now is to introduce a philosophy to the coaches, then we can now spread it across the country to the grassroots.

I know we love the Premier League and the entire English football system and structures; we can borrow a leaf from England DNA and craft our own Football Philosophy.

The England DNA has a framework that consists of five elements: Who we are, How we play, How we coach, the future England player and How we support. 

So it will, Who we are as Nigerians, how we want to play, how we coach, The future Nigerian Player and How we Support.

Well, if I am consulted by NFF or otherwise, I will love to be given the privilege to craft or be part of committee to craft Nigerian  Football Philosophy. My contact: +2348098772556, Call or WhatsApp!