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By Amaechi Agbo

Former U-17 Godlen Eaglets coach, Manu Garba has offered explanation son why U-17 players fail to sustain and live up to their potentials after winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Bestchoicesports.com.ng repots.

Coach Garba who took the Golden Eaglets to Round of 16 Exit at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup noted that indiscipline and inability to manage their sudden fame beclouds their sense of purpose and direction.

Coacg Garba who led the Eaglets in November 2013 to conquer the FIFA U-17 World Cup hosted by United Arab Emirates, said European players have upper hand at the cadet level because of their level of exposure  

Speaking in an online platform, the 2015 Africa Youth Championship winning coach said most of the players lack discipline to manage success as well their social life style which does not combine well for their career progression.

“The World Cup is the university of football. The highest that comes about every four years and every country that qualifies for the senior World Cup come to the World Cup with their best players playing in top leagues regularly and even with that their preparation encompasses all factors in football fitness that makes a team to perform like physical fitness, psychological fitness, tactical fitness, technical fitness and mental fitness.

“Moreover, you will find out that most of the players that does well winning the FIFA U-17 world cup lack the discipline to manage success, it’s either they are overwhelmed by their new find status earning big money and fail to concentrate or they take to bad social life and you can’t combine playing football at top level and drinking alcohol and womanizing etc.

“Besides most of the players that made it to the top clubs don’t make the first teams in their various clubs in the year of the World Cup.

“Most importantly, you hardly see the team that wins the World Cup at U-17 World Cup graduate together to the senior team. These are just some factors out of many as to why African teams have failed to go beyond the quarter final of the senior National team.

“Another thing I must add is at U-17 in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea, Toni Kross was already playing for Bayern Munich, so the level of exposure and playing at top level is a big plus for Europe and South America,” he said Sunday

Nigeria won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE after defeating Mexico 3–0 in the final to claim the country’s fourth title of the tournament.