Siji Lagunju Offers To Help Redirect Nigerian Football
NIGERIAN football is at that juncture where every decision taken by the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) and stakeholders in every aspect of the country’s football must be right. This is because though the country is blessed with talents in all areas of the game, the national teams and clubs have not lived up to their promise in recent times owing to certain past missteps.
However, the future looks as bright as ever, as Nigeria still possess in abundance all the ingredients needed to build a great footballing nation.
At a time when the country is searching for the right drivers of the journey to the promised land, in steps Siju Lagunju, a former international, who played for IICC Shooting Stars, the defunct Leventis United, International Breweries, Ilesha, Bendel Insurance, Iwuanyanwu Nationale and Stationery Stores.
Until recently, Lagunju, a graduate of University of Ife, who holds the only CAF Pro License in Nigeria, was a member of the technical department.
Fondly called the ‘ Best,’ owing to his vast football knowledge and experience, Lagunju has for a long time been calling for a review of the way we play the game, with particular reference to the state of the training and playing pitches.
The coach, who has worked with such renowned trainers as the late Kashimawo Laloko and Amodu Shuaibu, as well as James Peters and Adeboye Onigbinde, said he thrives in taking care of the smallest detail, writing and reading good technical reports and using his over 100 slides to plot match strategies.
Looking at the current state of the game, Lagunju said: “Nigerian football is no longer as good as it used to be. In the technical department of the NFF, when Coach Eguavoen came in as head, Paul Aigbogun, Rafiu Yusuf, Garba Lawal and I sat down to chart a way forward for Nigerian football.
“We came up with a philosophy called ITS ( Intelligence, Techniques, Strengths and Skills). You have to put all of these into the players.
“We have to be consistent about our plans for football. For example, in 2008- 2010, the former NFF President, Sani Lulu, had a vision about youth development and started the U13 that produced the likes of Iheanacho, Akpan, Lazarus and others.
“These and other young players were regularly camped during holidays and the coaches were Ilerika and Danladi, while Rafiu Yusuf and I were the technical officials. We need to bring these young lads to camp regularly, to teach them our football philosophy at the early stage.”
On Nigeria’s inability to win any CAF interclub championship since Enyimba won the Champions League back- to- back in 2003 and 2004, Lagunju said that the teams need restructuring to become as competitive as their North and Southern Africa counterparts. “I think we need better structures that include good scouting of players. However, beyond scouting of players, we need to have a playing philosophy and make the players follow it with discipline.
“Training a team also goes beyond the regular 11 v 11 games. In football, you need all- round fitness: technical fitness, intellectual fitness, psychological fitness, medical and tactical fitness. Importantly too, preparation is key.
“According to the late Coach Laloko, preparation is key to success. You must prepare the players properly.
“The German team that won the 2014 World Cup were put together 14 years earlier. The likes of Neuer, Khedira, Kroos, Muller and others came together at the U- 10 level, trained and played together. The 7- 0 demolition they did to Brazil was a result of their long understanding and togetherness.”
Lagunju said Nigerian football can reach the heights attained by the German side in 2014 is the stakeholders come together and plan for the success through identifying the cadet players and nurturing them to the senior team.
He added: “I believe that I have the necessary technical abilities and experience to help reposition Nigerian football, if given the opportunity. I am an avid reader and researcher with good knowledge of the Brazilian, English, French and German football.
“As technical head of most Nigerian teams to global tournaments, no technical official in Nigeria football have won more laurels than I did. I worked for Nigeria’s success at the U- 17 championship in 2013 and 2015, as well as, the U20 ( Falconets) in 2014.
“I can reposition Nigerian football if given the opportunity at any level. I have what it takes to tinker any of the national teams, including the Super Eagles. I was an assistant to Coach Okey Emordi to the 2008 CHAN championship.”