The Nigeria Football Association (NFA)?on Tuesday?in Abuja said it would create resources to complement the effort of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) in developing Nigerian football.
NFA?s Chairman, Aminu Maigari, while declaring open the 2013 FIFA Member Association (MA) Goalkeeping Course, said this was to ensure human capacity development in football.
“As a federation, we will continue to make resources available to continue to complement that of FIFA.
“This is to ensure that we constantly have these kinds of FIFA courses for human capacity development and the critical sector of the game of football,?? he said.
The one-week inaugural goalkeeping course began on September 22 and will end?on?September 28.
The course has 30 participants, made up 10 national team goalkeeper trainers and 20 clubside trainers.
Maigari said the course could not have come at a better time than when the association was determined to develop football.
“We are all aware that in spite of the quality of good players in the other departments of football, if the quality of a goalkeeper is poor, the team can experience an embarrassing defeat.
“This course could not have come at a better time than now, considering the complexity of the game of football and our quest to develop it.
“I commend FIFA for the foresight of incorporating this aspect in its list of programmes for the overall development of the game,?? he said.
Maigari however urged the participants to avail themselves of the opportunities which abound for them to improve themselves and football in general.
“They should not just participate for participation sake but participate to acquire the knowledge, because this course is like the trainers? trainer whereby we are expecting to see the impact in our teams,?? he said.
Louis Crayton, the FIFA Instructor for the course, commended the NFA for embracing the vision, saying “Africa has talent, but lack technical ability, and this is what the course will correct??.
He commend the NFA for seizing the opportunity of the course, saying “because the problem we have in Africa is not talent but the technical ability and I am glad the NFA saw this.
“Whatever we are going to do as African coaches to be able to improve on the skills and talents of coming goalkeepers, we will do it,?? Crayton said.
Responding on behalf of the coaches, David Ngodigha, a former national team goalkeeper,?said the course would mean a turnaround for good in Nigerian football.
He however appealed to the NFA to make equipment available for them to be able to impart knowledge.
?“We want to appeal to the NFA to supply us equipment that is needed to effectively impart the knowledge we will learn here.
“Thereby, it will not be that we were taught how to fish without being given what we will need to carry out the task,?? Ngodigha said.
