Dare decries mediocre performances of national football teams

The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare has decried the recent poor performances of the national football teams.

He made this known through his twitter handle following the Olympic Eagles failure to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo games when they were held 0-0 by South Africa in Cairo on Friday.

He reiterated the need for football to be developed from the grassroots level.

“Nigeria’s game against South Africa, which ended in a draw, is disturbing. It is time to take a look backwards and find out where the rain began to beat us. Like I said before, our football needs a return to the grassroots, including pristine sports administration and sound technical coaching.

“Government will take appropriate steps and in a timely fashion to improve our football fortunes. Current outcomes offer the opportunity to review, restrategise and develop a long term plan for football development. We will dust up great ideas already abandoned and implement them.

“Nigerian football, across the spectrum, will benefit from this new outlook, which will involve critical stakeholders.

“Government, mindful that Nigeria is a football nation, will be bold in embracing best practices in modern football,” he wrote.

Nigeria emerged champions in 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA, where they won Africa’s first-ever football gold medal. The Nigerian U23 participated in the tournament in Australia in 2000, but missed the event in Greece in 2004.

They took part in the event in China in 2008 and won the silver medal; missed the tournament in the United Kingdom in 2012; participated in the event in Brazil in 2016 and won the bronze medal; and;will now miss Tokyo 2020.