Former Golden Eaglet Coach brings Midas touch to Mailantarki CFA

Former Golden Eaglets coach Manu Garba lately led Mailantarki Care Soccer Academy to win the 2022 Dana Cup Worldwide Youth Championship in Denmark and the Norway Cup 2022 lately, changing into the primary African youth workforce to win two main worldwide trophies within the two Scandinavian nations in the identical 12 months. The veteran coach, who serves because the technical director and chief recruiter, spoke on successful the titles, his future and the prospects of the Abuja-based youth membership.

Coach Manu Garba isn’t any stranger to youth soccer and Nigeria’s 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup successful squad was beneath the tutelage of the Gombe State-born tactician.

Arguably the very best Golden Eaglets workforce Nigeria has assembled since Nigeria gained the maiden version of FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1985.

Final Saturday, the skilled gaffer, now working because the technical director to Mailantarki Care Soccer Academy (CFA), a youth soccer academy primarily based in Abuja, led his wards to win the fiftieth version of the Norway Cup 2022 beating host KFUM FK 2-0 in the principle pitch of the Ekeberg Sports activities Advanced in Oslo and this was victory got here barely every week after successful the 2022 Dana Cup Worldwide Youth Championship in Denmark final week, changing into first for a membership to go all the best way and win each senior classes within the two Scandinavian nations in the identical 12 months.

The victories his wards had achieved inside a short while merely elated the 56-year-old coach.

The Dana cup and Norway cup have been gained in two weeks and we’re the primary African workforce to realize that feat,” Manu stated in an interview with NationSport. “It’s certainly a second of nice pleasure, and happiness to win two worldwide tournaments within the first 12 months of formation of the academy.”

Whereas Garba admitted there are future stars inside Mailantarki Care’s fold, the veteran coach believed there are not any comparisons teaching a World Cup-winning nationwide junior workforce and a personal soccer academy, stating that each have totally different setups and philosophies.

He stated: “There isn’t any comparability between the FIFA U17 World cup successful workforce of 2013 and the Mailantarki Soccer academy that gained the Dana U19 Worldwide Soccer match and Norway cup.

They’re two totally different groups every with variations in persona, type of play and gamers with particular person brilliance as several types of gamers come in numerous generations.”

Garba has been credited of assembling among the best squads to play for the Golden Eaglets, with the category of 2013 breezing by way of totally different nations to win Below 17 world Cup in United Arab Emirates and bringing future Tremendous Eagles stars like Kelechi Iheanacho, Francis Uzoho and Taiwo Awoniyi into international reckoning.

The veteran coach, as Mailantarki Care’s technical director, believes he has unearthed a brand new set of soccer jewels that will set the soccer world on fireplace if their particular person careers hit the fitting trajectory.

“The stand out gamers (within the Dana and Norway Cup) have been Abdulaziz Maiyadi, the very best aim scorer with 13 objectives,Miko Dalma who’s essentially the most invaluable participant of the match, Midfield maestro Ibrahim Sani Dembele, Midfield Normal Hamza Sani and many others who all contributed to the success of the workforce.

I imagine that with the fitting angle, self-belief and self-discipline, these gamers can go on and conquer the world.

On the way forward for the academy and his involvement with its improvement, Garba stated the membership’s future is vivid, contemplating the event strides and funding the proprietor, Honourable Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, is investing within the membership, particularly by way of pitches, coaching amenities and dwelling quarters for the gamers and employees of the academy.

“The way forward for Mailantarki Care Soccer academy could be very vivid as God’s prepared the Chief Govt of the workforce is planning to construct a sports activities complicated in Abuja that will have a lodge, gamers hostel, 4 eleven apart pitches, 5 apart and 7 apart pitches, a restaurant, a shopping center all in Jabi.”

“Solely Allah is aware of how lengthy I shall be concerned as a result of so long as I’m alive and irrespective of the place I’m going out, I’ll endeavour to assist in contributing to develop gamers to stardom.”

Whereas some have argued that Garba had misplaced his Midas contact in teaching after he failed to duplicate the success of 2013 with the Golden Eaglets in 2017 and 2019 , he believed his newest success with Mailantarki FC serves as a reminder and proof of his wizardry in youth soccer.

He additionally weighed in on what will be executed to reverse the fortunes of youth soccer in Nigeria, because the nation has but to win any continental and international youth championships since 2015.

“After 2015, Mailantarki Soccer academy has damaged the jinx in successful two worldwide tournaments and to get it proper in successful main soccer tournaments, we have to appoint good coaches in good time, scout for proficient gamers and put together adequately in all ramifications of soccer health, technical, tactical, bodily, psychological and psychological health,” he counselled.

“ Importantly, the workforce must play plenty of matches and worldwide friendlies and groups are presupposed to be effectively kitted and allowances paid as at when resulting from inspire our groups.

“However don’t overlook that after 2013, I used to be the coach that gained AFCON U20 Senegal 2015 trophy and Gold Medal for Nigeria, ” Garba famous.