Ex-Flying Eagles coach bemoans preparations ahead of WAFU Under-20 tournament.

Former Flying Eagles coach John Obuh has bemoaned the team’s late preparations ahead of their 2022 WAFU Zone B U-20 Cup of Nations in Niger Republic, The PUNCH reports.

The tournament, which serves as qualifiers for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, holds from May 7 to 20 in Niamey, the Nigerien capital.

Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Ghana are in Group B, while hosts Niger are drawn against Ivory Coast, Togo, and Benin Republic in Group A.

Bosso and his lads departed Nigeria for Niamey Thursday, but Obuh, who guided Nigeria to a second-place finish at the U-17 World Cup in 2009, said the team’s coach Ladan Bosso didn’t have enough time to prepare his players for the tournament.

“I want to wish Bosso and the boys all the best heading to Niamey, even though they didn’t have enough time to prepare but I’m confident that they will be able to get the job done and at least qualify first,” Obuh told The PUNCH.

“The football administrators need to ensure that we always start preparations for tournaments on time because I don’t know why they delayed the announcement of Bosso. If he had known he would be the coach he would have started work early, even if it is to go around scouting and watching the players, believe me, he would have been able to put together 20 or 30 very good players.

“He should be ready for anything because that’s what you face as a coach in Nigeria. You must be ready to do the job whenever you are called upon and when things don’t work out, you get blamed, and if it did they equally praise you.

But I’m sure Bosso will know how to talk to the boys and ensure he gets the best out of them.”

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