Amodu delighted with UK programme

Former Nigeria coach, Amodu Shaibu, has hailed the initiative of the Nigeria Football Federation in sending members of its Technical Study Group on a nine-day capacity enhancing exercise in match reading, general match preparation and backroom analysis in the United Kingdom.
The 57-year-old, who has had four different stints as Head Coach of the Senior National Team, opined that such programmes should be regular as participants will always have much to learn, insisting that knowledge-seeking is a life-time endeavour.
Shaibu said: “I am impressed with the idea behind the exercise, the schedule that was prepared and the calibre of resource persons. The Nigeria Football Federation deserves commendation for this. This kind of programme should be regular for relevant persons.”
Over the past week in the United Kingdom, the Study Group has listened to several first-class presentations on scouting, watched and analysed a Premier League match (Aston Villa vs West Brom), attended a coaching clinic by the PFCA and LMA, learnt internet/software based scouting, listened to presentations by top guns of The FA and watched Leicester and Arsenal’s U-18 and the Championship match between Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough for match-reading tasks.
Sunday was activity-free day for the group, but on Monday, there is a full day programme at Championship side, Brentford FC, where they will observe first team training sessions for training techniques and fitness regime and also be engaged in question-and-answer sessions with Manager Mark Warburton and Academy director Ose Aibanghee.
On Tuesday, the group will visit Arsenal FC’s famous ground, The Emirates, to watch U-18 players train, and also have question-and-answer session with Arsenal Manager, Arsene Wenger.
Led by NFF Executive Committee member, Chris Green, the study group members at the exercise are Shaibu, Jay Jay Okocha, Isah Ladan Bosso, Kelechi Emeteole, Paul Aigbogun, Dahiru Sadi, Garba Lawal, Nasiru Jibril, Ahmed Yaro-Yaro, Ann Chiejine, David Ngodigha, Yisa Sofoluwe, Idris Musa, Edema Fuludu, Sam John Obuh and Florence Omagbemi.