… Sees Hope For NPFL players In Super Eagles, After COVID-19

Former International and IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan legend, Patrick Olusegun Odegbami has added his voice to the debate on the existence of ‘juju’ in football, confirming its existence, but doubts its efficacy.

Odegbami, it could be recalled, took to his column in some newspapers penultimate week to discuss his experiences on the practice of ‘juju’ while his playing career lasted, said there is ‘juju’ in the game right from the cradles. He spoke as a Guest of the FCT FOOTBALL UPDATE WhatsApp group “PERSONALITY INTERVIEW.

Mathematical Odegbami as he is fondly called said “there is juju in football. There is juju in primary, secondary schools football. There is juju in Nigeria football, there is juju in Africa football, there is juju every where. But, it depends on the context you are looking at it.

“Juju is not always from the negative aspects that people are looking at it. If you seek anything divine to the game of football, it becomes ‘juju’ and everyone is using it one way or the other”.

Odegbami reiterated that on his personal experiences in the game, shows that such does not work. That to succeed in football, that all the basic and fundamental principles of practice and training in the game must be observed.

The former NTC FC of Ibadan and Housing Corporation of Ibadan mesmerizing winger whose skills demystified the then dreaded WNDC Shooting Stars of Ibadan, for NTC to win the Region’s Challenge cup in 1972,
said the composition of the present Super Eagles team with majorly foreign based players should not be a sort of worry to anyone, as every country uses their best of players, no matter where they are based.

He said in the past, majority of the players play at home, so, the bulk of the national team players came from home. He observed that the trend changed in the 80’s following the mass movement of players overseas.

He however sees hope for the NPFL players immediately after the Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world ” I am seeing hope for the best players in country staying at home after the pandemic, as the mass rush to overseas will be reduced, and this will give the Coaches the opportunity to work with the best of players in the domestic league” he concluded.

  Football, Segun Odegbami