A former DIG Operations of the Nigeria Police Force, Abdulmajid Ali has advocated for the appointment of a home based coach and inclusion of local players for the Super Eagles, Silvernews.com.ng reports.
Speaking after the Super Eagles lost in the 2023 AFCON final to Cote d’Ivoire, the Niger Tornadoes supporter urged the football authorities to look inwards and start putting the local players together for subsequent outings.
He noted that some African teams have tilted towards their home based players for their national teams while calling for the reduction of the foreign based players to the Super Eagles.
He hailed the Elephants of Ivory Coast for clinching the 2023 AFCON adding that they deserve the trophy owing to their preparations for the tournament.
He said: “The coach started well and have done his best. It’s time we start looking inward for our own local coach and local players. We start putting them together and training them and also play warm up matches.
“If you see most of those South Africa teams, 90% of them play in the local league, in Congo, T.P Mazembe have majority of home based players in their team. The Egyptians and Ivorians have lot’s of local players.
“We should not have 100% foreign based players any longer. Our boys should start gearing up and prepare for local players.
“It was a serious beating which was less expected. The Nigerian team at times, when you expect more from them, that will be the time they would not play, when you don’t give them chance, they will play well.
“The Ivorians deserve the victory. They have been practicing, playing, and preparing for the competition for over a long time.
“Our players have not played together for some time and even those matches they played, you can pick the system that were being applicable to us.”
