It’s a shame NFF denied Finidi U17 job

….Current Super Eagles inconsistent

….Says Ex-footballers deserve a better deal from Nigeria

…..It’s challenging training young ones, but fun

By Jacob Ajom

Precious Monye is among that generation of Nigerian footballers that dazzled the world at the Scotland ’89 FIFA U17 World Cup. They were so good that they made Pele of Brazil utter his now time wearied prediction, that if there was any African country worthy of winning the World Cup, that country ought to be Nigeria.

In this chat with Sports Vanguard, Monye recalls his humble beginnings in Aba, his invitation to the U17 camp and how he played for three national teams simultaneously.

Excerpts:

What are you doing in Malta?

I am working as a coach at a football school. I was once an assistant coach in a Premier League side in Malta but after one year, I decided to go back to the football school which is the largest here. It is called Luxol Football School.

What is the experience like, coaching in a football school?

I find it challenging to coach young ones. It is not easy, but it is fun.

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You played as a youth player now you are coaching a youth team. What difference does it make to you now that you are coaching youth players?

When I was playing for the youth team, we all came from school, and from school to the streets. We had talents then, so it was easier for us to improve and get to the next level. But here, it is like coaching people who don’t even know how to juggle the ball or pass the ball to the next person. So, it’s like starting from the basics.

Are you saying the African kid is naturally more talented than the Europeans’?

Not in that sense. What I am saying is that over there, we learnt it through the hard way; like when we wanted to go out and play, we sneaked through the back of the house to go and play before our parents could come back home. But here the parents are…