ACTUALITE |
23.06.2007
Generation 2010
A better policy of managing youth football must be put in place to ensure continuity in the national football team.
The early qualification of the Indomitable Lions for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations to take place in Ghana is expected to give Cameroon ample time to diagnose problems which have been hindering the smooth development of football in the country. Sports authorities and football managers ought to use the six months ahead to map out realistic and realisable long term strategies that will help Cameroon’s football come out of lethargy. They should look beyond the nations cup and put in place measures for a dignified participation of the country in the World Cup in 2010. One of such sectors, which needs urgent restructuring as normalcy is the exception rather than the rule, is youth football — minors, cadets and juniors.
The plethora of football training schools and centres, is in no way a reflection of the health of the sector. Rather, most of the schools are but epitomes of disorganisation and amateurism. The desire of promoters to make quick cash from parents and export young talents abroad supersedes that of grooming the young people for the good of Cameroonian football. Easy to understand why most of the new comers in the national football team are picked from out of the country; Europe in particular.
Maybe this is because Cameroon lacks a veritable youth football league. The spontaneous grouping organised each year to select the champion for the season does not offer the opportunity to detect talents. Unlike other countries where clubs have junior teams from where the players graduate into the senior section, in Cameroon virtually all clubs lack the junior category. This is why players of doubtful credentials are always picked to make up the national junior, minor and cadet teams. Such is the case with the selection that was refused entry visa into Germany by the German consular services in Yaounde recently. Very few people could identify the players and where they evolve.
The weak youth sector has a repercussion on the senior category. Detection of talents for the senior category and by implication the national team is a headache. Whereas, transition from one stage to another — from minor, to cadets, then junior, senior and the national team ought to be systematic.
With the qualification of the Lions for the Ghana Africa Cup of Nations, a true detection of young players to take over the relay baton from the dinosaurs of the team is important. True, history has made many young players believe that the only way to enter the prestigious circle of national team players is to be exiled abroad. But things have to change and this can only be through proper organisation of home football; beginning with out youth football that is expected to be a true nursery of the national football teams.
The Minister of Sports and Physical Education has announced that a national forum on sports will be organised in September. The expectation of all is that the problem of youth football, which constitutes the future of Cameroon in the domain, will be well addressed. There is need to think about the stars of tomorrow; those whom, in some years to come, will be the pillars of our football. For, not every footballer can be a "Roger Milla", that is, give good results after clocking 30.
|
|
Hits: 1 | Source:cameroon-tribune.cm | |
|
|
|
|
| |