Nigeria needs more disciplined youngsters in football, says former Eagles player Etim Esin

Posted : 12 November 2023

A former Super Eagles mercurial midfielder, Etim Esin (10/10), has called for more discipline among young footballers, warning them of the consequences of indiscipline.

Esin advised the upcoming football stars to learn from his experience and shun all forms of indiscipline in their quest to become future stars.

Esin, who played for Nigeria at the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championships, gave the advice in an interview on the sidelines of the draws for the 5th edition of the Cohesion Football Tournament held at Filmhouse Cinemas, Surulere, Lagos.

NAN reports that the Cohesion Football Tournament is an annual cadet grassroots football competition programmed for underserved pre-teens between the ages of 9-13, sponsored by a football enthusiast, Damilare Obagbemi.

Esin, who supervised the draws for the Cohesion Football Tournament, warned the young footballers not to truncate their ambitions by being undisciplined.

"During my time, I had some people I was looking up to, which I failed to emulate. These kids today should also have those they should be looking up to as mentors.

"In this era, we have great players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and others. But during our time, we had players like Diego Maradona, Ryan Giggs, and Pelé of Brazil. These young ones have many players to learn from for a great future.

"It is good for us that people now want to use football as a platform. However, those dreams can be thwarted if the kids are involved in acts of indiscipline. The kids of today have a great advantage combining education and football. If one doesn't work for them, they can fall back on the other.

"What I am saying is all about discipline. People know my story because part of my story in football is about indiscipline. These kids need a lot of discipline and should learn from my story," he said.

Esin, once described as the African Maradona due to his playing style resembling the great Argentine player, further urged the youngsters not to be in a hurry for fame.

"The young footballers need to listen to their coaches more, follow instructions, and have a disciplined mindset. Train well and build their minds.

"We are getting older, and they will become older too. It's a cycle. So when opportunities like this come, our young ones should not squander them," he said.

At the ceremony, Esin performed the official draws for the 42 teams competing in the 5th edition of the Cohesion Football Tournament, alongside other officials.

Nigeria needs more disciplined youngsters in football, says former Eagles player Etim Esin

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