Participants at the first-ever CAF Coaching Instructors’ Course held in Nigeria 6th -15th July have hailed the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for working assiduously to ensure that the course became a reality.
The course content included classroom and practical modules handled by CAFElite Instructor and FIFA Technical Expert Abrham Mebratu, and 15 of the bestcoaches in Nigeria were involved in the pace-setting train-the-trainerson-field drills and theoretical grills.
NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, who attended the closing ceremony, said he was fulfilled that the first-ever course has finally taken place, opening the gate for more of such courses for Nigerian coaches to really develop themselves.
“Without any disrespect meant, the truth is that most of our coaches arejust calling themselves ‘coaches’ without having any real grasp of moderntactics and techniques. With this course, we can now begin to see positive changes as the new instructors will be encouraged to organise courses for the benefitof colleagues.”
NFF Technical Director, Augustine Eguavoen, who was among the group of 15 participants, said: “It was an interesting experience for me. Now, we have15 coaching instructors in Nigeria who can organise coaching courses for their colleagues. It is a great feeling and our coaches will be the better for it.”
Eguavoen and staff worked their socks off for weeks putting the dots andmarks in the right places, and he says he feels fulfilled that everything wentas planned.
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“Mr Mebratu is a genius, a hard working one at that. Tireless and well-grounded.I believe that our coaches, including myself, gained so much from the course,”Eguavoen added.
The group of 15 also included president of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Isah Ladan Bosso (who recently took the Flying Eagles to thequarter finals of the FIFA U20 World Cup in Argentina), former Super Eagles’captain, Daniel Amokachi, Alphonsus Dike, Stanley Eguma, Wemimo Oni Mathew,Henry Abiodun, Sam John Obuh, Edema Fuludu, Bala Nikyu and Lawrence Ndaks.
Also at the closing ceremony were NFF 1st Vice President, Felix Anyansi-Agwu and Executive Committee members, Alhaji Sharif RabiuInuwa and Alhaji Babagana Kalli.
