Grassroots Football Is Lagging Behind

The development of football at the grassroots is given stakeholders in the game a cause to worry about.

Board member of Lagos State Football Association, Dotun Coker, expressed displeasure with the level of development of grassroots football in Nigeria after 50 years of independence.

He said apart from Lagos State, other states lag far behind in terms of football development, saying that there is still a lot to do if football is to be developed at the grassroots level.

“I am quite satisfied with the number of grassroots clubs in Nigeria especially in Lagos. It is unfortunate that many states in Nigeria have not done much for football development at the grassroots, “he said.

Commenting, Chairman, Afo Football Association, Afolabi Onanaike, said there is nothing to write home about in grassroots football.

“There are many problems confronting us as football organisers. Lagos State makes things difficult for football organisers. For instance, we pay so much to play competition in Astro turf pitch of the National Stadium, which is not helping the sport to develop at the grassroots,” he said.

Eleven Strikers player, Ekene Duru, said grassroots football is growing but one of the problems still confronting the grassroots clubs and football organisers is lack of sponsors.

“We just play in some competition without sponsors. Most of the grassroots clubs are struggling for survival, so we still have a long way to go if want to really develop football from the grassroots level,” he said

—Sunday Akintoye