A two-day workshop to present the Amateur Football Environment Report of Nigeria has ended in Abuja, with FIFA experts Amr Moheb and Etienne Sockeng commending the commitment that the Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF administration has shown towards growing the grassroots and amateur football sector in the country.
Sockeng, who is a Regional Technical Consultant in the FIFA Global Football Development Division, and Moheb, an Amateur Football Analysis Manager, presented detailed report on Nigeria’s amateur football environment, juxtaposing it with case studies and instances in other Member Associations of FIFA, and expressed their delight with the building blocks being put in place by the Gusau administration to engineer the growth of the game from the grassroots.
NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau MON, declared the workshop open on Wednesday, in company with the NFF 2nd Vice President/Chairman NPFL, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, Member of NFF Executive Committee, Rt. Hon. Nse Essien and the General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi MON. Gusau charged participants to be attentive and take home meaningful and useful lessons from the analyses of the FIFA experts.
Practical exercises in group sessions enlivened the workshop, as Sockeng and Moheb drove home the point that the sustainable growth of the game in any society can only be achieved through critical attention to the amateur cadre.
NFF Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, presented the situation of amateur football in Nigeria, assisted by the deputy director (technical) and TMS Manager, Nasiru Jibril.
Participants at the workshop, which took place at the Sandralia Hotel in Abuja, included Rt. Hon. Nse Essien (a Member of the NFF Executive Committee), NFF Management led by the Deputy General Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme MON, Super Eagles’ Head Coach Eric Chelle, NFF Staff, and Management and Staff of the National Institute for Sports.
There were also members of the NFF Congress led by Chairman of the Bauchi State Football Association, Mr. Pascal Patrick and Chairman of the FCT Football Association, Mr. Adam Mouktar, members of the FCT Coaches Association, psychologists, members of the Beach Soccer & Futsal League board, Super Eagles’ physiotherapist Nnaemeka Anozie, and owners of clubs and academies.
Essien, who participated fully in the sessions, declared the workshop closed on Thursday evening, on behalf of NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
