Why certain Nigerians fail to make it to the Professional Level.

Nigeria is a country where football is loved passionately across the nation. You go into a school, boys are either playing football or arguing about it, you go into an office people are trying to convince the other why the team they support is the best out. You walk on the street and you see people playing from different social classes ranging security guards to business managers using stones as the goals, in primary schools that do not have much facilities you see students using items such as bottle covers, cans, bottles or even balloons to play the game. The love for the game is there but why is it that only a certain type of Nigerian is able to make it to a professional level. The likes of Jay Jay Okocha, Daniel Amokachi and Nwankwo kanu did not come from rich families, so what gives these players the upper hand. I believe it is a combination of things, I am a firm believer that if you want something bad enough there are very few things that can stop you from getting it. Now do the top percentile of Nigerian kids want to go pro?Definately! But do they do what it takes to compete with the rigorous training that academy kids do? Not a chance, the first problem is the difference in expectation from their parents, most parents who are well off in Nigeria do not push their children on the field, they see it as a form of recreation while they push them through school because they feel that is a more prestigious route.

This rubs of on the kids because supposing they go for a trial and dont get in, their parents wont react nearly as seriously as if their kid came home with bad grades, so for these kids if football gets too tough, getting a job using their parents connections is always an easy way out. One which young people are always willing to take but for the kids less fortunate, they might not have that option there is only one way, go pro or your family will continuously suffer. This is the reality, and this is why their level of desire and mental toughness is much higher.

The only time that the top percentile are able to start pushing is at 16 or 17 when they move to England for university or a levels and by then the football world has already left them behind, they lack the simple tactical understanding and speed of thinking to keep up with their counterparts.Now the years of street ball and playing with people 4 years older is always benefitial because to get to the absolute top level of football you need a mixture of all aspects, the street skill but with a finetune from professional training the likes of Messi moving to Barcelona at 13 was the perfect move for him he was hungry had raw skill, and time to improve.

When we think of all the great players we have witnessed play the game Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo de lima, Johan cruyff, Pele, Diego Maradona.Why is it that none of their sons have been able to get anywhere near their level? They do not have the desire and the hunger of their fathers. For the most partthey are probably put straight through to academies at age 4 and that is not how you make it to the highest level in football there have to be some days where you play on the street with no ref and you call your own fouls there have to be some days where you play without shoes. Combined with academy training and good coaching, thats how players get to the highest level. So in many ways the top 10 percentile of Nigeria are very similar to the children of most football legends.

This has nothing to do with any of my business endeavors but it is a topic I feel very strongly about and wanted people like me to understand they have not failed, but maybe never had a chance to succeed.