Governing Bodies
U17 WORLD CUP IS A MEANS TO AN END; NOT AN END IN ITSELF
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
If precedence is anything to go bye, Manu Garba, the coach of the Nigeria U-17 World Cup, will be relieved of his position when the team returns to Nigeria.
He will thread the path that his predecessors – Sebastian Brodericks-Imasuen, Fanny Amun and Emmanuel Amuneke among others – have taken. A sack follows a loss of trophy.
In spite of wild expectations, the team crumbled at the Round of 16 early Wednesday morning and crashed out of the ongoing FIFA U17 World Cup in Brazil.
Criticism of the team has been trending on various social media platforms in Nigeria. The disappointment is quite understandable. The quest for a record-extending sixth win far out shadowed the ultimate aim of the competition, which is strictly a developmental program.
The concept of the original trophy unveiled in 1985 vividly gives reason behind the competition. In Olympic tradition, the original trophy was made of bronze, to illustrate the beginning of aspiration to rise and get to the silver zone, which the U20 trophy is made of, before winning the gold-plated FIFA World Cup trophy, the ultimate prize in global football.
The original bronze trophy of the competition is cast in the form of a shoot unfurling into full flower. It depicts the fact that the competition is not the ultimate. Nigerians have taken it to be an end, instead of the means to an end.
This probably explains why any squad that failed to win is vilified while the coach is axed. Despite the record win of five, the number of stars that blossomed into international reckoning is easily countable.
That depicts that Nigeria is really not benefiting much from the pyrrhic victories achieved. Apart from Nwankwo Kanu, Mikel Obi and very few others, how many other U17 players really made marks internationally.
This should be Nigeria’s major concern and not just to sack coaches for not winning the U17 tournament. One can recall a certain Jean-François Jodar, the winning coach of the France U17 team in 2001.
He became the coach of the Under-17 and Under 18 teams of France in 1988, shortly after the French team came back from Canada’87 where they crashed out in the second round of the competition.
Under Jodar, France did not qualify for the FIFA Under 16 tournament from 1988 till 2001 where they were victorious. For the 13 years he was in charge, the French federation did not sack him for not qualifying the country for the world tournament.
Unlike in Nigeria, they had a different yardstick to measure his productivity. Jean-François Jodar discovered virtually every member of the 1998 World Cup winning team. David Trezequet, Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry were all products of Jean-François Jodar. He took the responsibility of developing the youth of France.
It is this type of developmental football that is expected in Nigeria, not merely amassing U17 trophies. Now, Nigeria combs every part of the globe to scout for U-17 players!
It is an indication that talents are lacking at home. What has happened to the report of a panel set up 20 years ago after the U20 World Cup?
A panel headed by Amanze Uchegbulam was set up in 1999 shortly after Nigeria failed to get beyond the quarterfinals of the then World Youth Championship. The report was released on June 1, 1999. But like others before and after it, the report is gathering dust somewhere unimplemented.
The Amanze Uchegbulam Panel subjected the then NFA chairman, Abdulmumini Aminu to a two-hour grilling during one of its seatings. The conclusion of the panel:
“The ages declared by Nigerian players were questionable, if not downright false”.
The report concludes that the cheats were already having a negative impact on the national team, as players expected to graduate from youth sides burn out by the time they reach the senior national team.
To guard against this, Uchegbulam Panel recommended that Under-17 players should be recruited exclusively from the grassroots, secondary schools competitions and amateur clubsides.
After all, Uchegbulam panel, reasonably argued that after having put in a few years in the amateur league, “players can hardly be under 17 by the time they get to the professional league.”
For the Flying Eagles, the Under -20 side, Uchegbulam Panel advised that players should be recruited from the tertiary institutions, professional and amateur leagues, while not more than four foreign-based players, properly transferred by the NFA, should be invited at a time.
The logic behind the recommendation “is that by the time a player spends four years in the professional league, he should be aspiring to be in the senior team”. The report of the panel has remained unimplemented for 20 years now.
A former sports minister, Steven Ibn Akiga, tried to discourage the use of players who have featured in a higher category from dropping to the lower cadre even if their age still fall within the junior category.
It was for that reason that Femi Opabunmi who was a sensation at the World under 17 Championship and who in 2002 featured for the Super Eagles was not allowed to play for the Flying Eagles, even though the age may have allowed him to play.
The essence of the age-regulated competition is not an immediate gain of winning trophy, but a long-term benefit of nurturing an enduring senior team. In Nigeria, it has been taken to be an end, instead of means to an end.
The essence of youth sides is to raise sides that will endure. Henry Thierry, David Trezequet, Nicolas Anelka, Michael Owen were graduates of the World Youth Championship of 1997 (U20). Those players were not in the winning sides, yet their countries gained tremendously in nurturing them.
The FIFA Museum in Zurich has launched a new special exhibition titled Innovation in Action: Football Technologies on and off the Pitch, offering visitors an unprecedented glimpse into how innovation is transforming the world’s most popular sport.
Opened on Monday, October 1, 2025, the immersive showcase was developed in collaboration with the FIFA Innovation Team and other departments within world football’s governing body. It explores how cutting-edge technology supports players, referees, and fans—enhancing performance, ensuring fairness, and enriching the overall football experience—while preserving the game’s passion and human spirit.
“What makes this exhibition truly special is that we can give visitors a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes look that allows them to step inside football innovation, experiencing it hands-on rather than just reading about it,” said Marco Fazzone, Managing Director of the FIFA Museum. “We offer a glimpse at technologies and tools that fans don’t normally get to experience up close, while also showing how innovation has evolved over almost 100 years of FIFA World Cup history.”
Organised around five themed sections — Broadcasting & Media, Intelligent Data, Refereeing & Fair Play, Staging the Game, and the Innovation Lab — the exhibition blends rare artefacts with interactive displays. Visitors can relive football’s broadcast evolution, from the black-and-white footage of the 1954 World Cup to today’s ultra-slow motion 4K replays, and even step into a virtual referee booth to experience the pressures of officiating in real time.
Among the standout features is the FIFA Player App, which allows fans to explore Chelsea star Cole Palmer’s performance statistics from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final, illustrating how data helps players refine their craft.
Another exhibit showcases Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s water bottle from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 — marked with opponents’ penalty data — revealing how analytics influence critical moments.
Visitors can also view a referee body camera used at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, giving a fresh perspective on decision-making from the official’s point of view.
The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with football technology. They can test their reflexes and judgment as referees, operate goal-line technology systems, or assume the role of a broadcast director managing live match feeds. Data enthusiasts can analyse player movements, while aspiring innovators can design their own football tech concepts inside the Innovation Lab.
Innovation in Action runs until 31 March 2026 at the FIFA Museum in Zurich. Entry is included with a standard museum ticket.
With its rich mix of storytelling, interactivity, and history, the exhibition promises to be a must-see experience for anyone passionate about the future of the beautiful game.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s military operation in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino told a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich where he met Palestinian federation president Jibril Rajoub.
“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.”
Infantino said world football’s governing body could not solve geopolitical crises, but “it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”
“I met Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich to discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East region,” Infantino later wrote on Instagram.
“I commend President Rajoub and the PFA for their resilience at this time and I reiterated to him FIFA’s commitment to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world.”
FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason… They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference on Wednesday.
Israel are third in Europe’s Group I of the qualifying stage for next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that its Statutes will be amended at this year’s Annual General Assembly (AGA), insisting that no such plans are on the table for the September 27 meeting.
In a statement, the Federation stressed that the ongoing conversation around its Statutes remains at a preliminary stage and that suggestions of imminent changes are unfounded.
Ahead of the AGA, the NFF will host a workshop on September 26, bringing together representatives of its members, as well as officials from FIFA and CAF. According to the Federation, the forum is strictly consultative, designed to deliberate on proposals for new Statutes in line with the principles of good governance and international best practices.
The NFF explained that only after consensus is reached with its members will a separate General Assembly be convened to formally consider and adopt any proposed Statute changes.
“The NFF remains committed to due process, transparency, and working hand-in-hand with its General Assembly Members, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement read.
“The ultimate goal is to establish enduring Statutes that will strengthen governance, broaden representation, and promote inclusivity within Nigerian football.”
The Federation added that the long-term reform framework is aimed at ensuring stability and progress across its structures and enhancing the participation of all stakeholders in the country’s football administration.
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