•Tasks govt on grass-root football devt

By Ebun Sessou

House of Representatives member representing Amuwo Odofin federal constituency,  Mr. Oghene Egoh has urged the Minister of Sport,

Barrister Solomon Dalung to develop confidence in the new crop of Super Eagles, saying they need to be given more time to blend properly.

The lawmaker who lamented that the problem bedevilling the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, emanates from policy makers, advised the federal government to develop football from the grassroots in order to strengthen the system.

He disclosed this at the maiden edition of the Oghene Unity competition in Amuwo Odofin organized at the Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos recently.

Dalung

While encouraging the youths to implore the spirit of sportsmanship during the competition, Egoh  noted that the competition would provide avenue for the participants to play in the local and international leagues.

He said the youths should spend better time achieving beneficial goals rather than pursuing a destructive lifestyle of drug, crime and illicit sex.

“We are optimistic that this competition would produce footballers like Finidi George, Sunday Oliseh, Victor Agali among others”, he added, noting that Amuwo Odofin has produced great footballers who have played for both the national and international leagues.

His words: “Lots of youths have talents, therefore it is important to develop them so that they could be useful to the country. Most of the great footballers Nigeria has produced come from the local governments and there is need to catch them young. We need to have replacements for the likes of Rasheed Yekini, Henry Nwosu, among others.”