A football enthusiast in Onitsha, Anambra, Stanley Okafor has urged the three tiers of government to rededicate attention to age-group-football as a means of combating crime in the country.
He expressed optimism that the measure would engage the youth socially and economically.
Okafor, who is also a legal practitioner made the call in an interview withNewsmen on Saturday in Onitsha.
NAN reports that the football enthusiast was reacting to Nigeria’s under 17 (U-17) women’s national team, the Flamingos 2-1 of Japan on Saturday to lift the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Rabat, Morocco.
Okafor expressed concern over the neglect age grade and school football in Nigeria.
He said that competitions like Shell Under 14 Competition, Inter Secondary Schools Football Competition, World Secondary Schools Football Tournament etc, all contributed to strengthening youth focus, developed talents and prevented juvenile delinquency, cultism and crime,” he said.
The football enthusiast hailed the team for the victory, and urged Nigeria’s football administrators to sustain the achievement, especially after series of disappointing outings by the senior national teams.
“The victory of the Flamingos is a celebratory development in Nigerian football especially following series of disappointing outcomes for the senior national teams,” he said.
The victory makes Nigeria the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup in both the men’s and women’s categories.
