Dare advocates for compulsory inclusion of home-based stars in Eagles

The Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, on Friday said that it was important to have more home-based players in the Super Eagles as a matter of national policy.

Dare stressed that it was important to make the domestic league players form part of the national football team in the overall interest of the country.

He noted that home based or foreign coach should be encouraged to inject players in the elite league, the Nigeria Premier League in the Super Eagles.

The Minister said: “Our football DNA is the domestic league and we cannot throw it away just like that. I always stress that we need some of the quality
players in the league to join other top players in the Eagles.

‘There is nothing wrong in taking a decision that 25 per cent of the players to be invited to the national camp should be from our league. That way we are
elevating the league and we were also developing the standard of football in the country.

‘This is not far-fetched. We saw what late Stephen Keshi achieved with a blend of foreign and domestic league players and I can also recall what former
Eagles Manager Clemens Westerhof did with the domestic players during his tenure.

‘Coach of Senegal did not get it right immediately. It took time. He was a former National team player but the federation was patient with him until he was
able to get it right.’

Dare also drummed up support for the Nigerian coaches, saying no foreign manager will understand the average mentality of the Nigerian footballer than a
Nigerian.

‘Our coaches are not bad but I have to also admit that they have to constantly upgrade themselves to be in tune with modern developments in the game.

‘At the last Nations Cup, Nigerian coaches recorded great results until that defeat against Morocco. But we are not patient. Going forward, we have to decide
what we want and I still tip a Nigerian coach ahead of the foreign manager,’ the minister added.