“The difference is that in Nigeria the only way out for these boys is to play football and try to make a life out of it.”
The junior “Soca Warriors” are currently in Abuja continuing their preparations for the World Championship in Egypt and according to Omijeh, were afforded the luxury of training at the Abuja International Stadium which is the home venue for the “Super Eagles.” Omijeh described it in such words because even the current Nigeria National Under 20 team does not get to train on the main playing field at the venue but instead has to have its sessions on the outside training field or the Abuja Pirates field which would make even the practice pitches at any of the five international stadiums in T&T look A-class.
“You all are guests and through your good connections, the Association has made it possible for your team to train at the National Stadium but our Under 20 team does not get that opportunity so easily. They must earn it. Any footballer who wants to step on to play or train on our main stadium must earn every right to do it. It is every player’s dream in Nigeria to play for even one minute on that field,” Omijeh told TTFF Media.
He was amazed on hearing that T&T’s recognized stadiums including the main Hasely Crawford Stadium, were regularly used for activities by amateur teams and Leagues as well for several non professional matches.
“That could never be the case in Nigeria and if it were then our players would be in heaven. You must earn the right to play there and we think it’s the right way because then your players appreciate it more when they get to step onto that surface and you find it makes the Stadium a more prized possession and not taken for granted.”
Obijeh spoke of players who would pay their own travel from towns 110 miles away from Abuja in order to attend screening sessions for national selection.
At the Pirates Ground on Thursday, some sixty players worked out in preparation for the May 12 game against T&T and the upcoming World Championship. Some of them were still being screened. And they trained in their personal kits on a surface which was not all even and with grass at above ankle height in several areas. It is the same ground which was one of the training bases for the Nigerian team which won Gold at the 1996 Olympics, the Nigerian Under 20s which finished runners up at the Under 20 World Cup in 2005 and the Under 17s which took winners spot at the FIFA U-17s in 2007. Some of their stars like Kanu, Daniel Amokachi and Sunday Oliseh all grew up playing football on the said ground.
“These youth players get their national team training and playing kits only a day before the game,” Omijeh said. “But it makes them work hard to earn it. The desire to work hard and achieve something is there but you also find very talented players who do not want to work hard so they have pressured at all times. When they train on a surface like this (Pirates) then we think it helps them because when they get to the big venues like Abuja then they enjoy it more. Right now there are players from Europe, one from England and one from Athletico Bilbao training with the Under 20s and when they come from all their fancy facilities, they have to come right here in Abuja and train with the rest of guys,” Obijeh said.
The T&T U17s will face Nigerian Premier League champions club Kano Pillars in a training fixture from 4pm (11am TT time) on Friday at the Abuja National Stadium. Already attending the T&T training sessions in Abuja have been some agents linked with clubs in Portugal and Spain and they will also attend T&T’s matches here.