Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 8) years Later
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Re: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 years Later
Sunset
But this is 2 years later, not so? Are things expected to be static? Not sure what the point is
The difficulties of statistical thinking describes a puzzling limitation of our mind: our excessive confidence in what we believe we know, and our apparent inability to acknowledge the full extent of our ignorance and the uncertainty of the world we live in. We are prone to overestimate how much we understand about the world and to underestimate the role of chance in events -- Daniel Kahneman (2011), Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
According to Lolly, He (Rohr) took him (Uzoho) from obscurity to the World Cup, the biggest stage for any professional footballer.
By the grace of God I am a Christian, by my deeds a great sinner.....The Way of a Pilgrim
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Re: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 years Later
Actually 5 years later.
Maybe Sunset is not aware of businesses that have folded or transitioned since 2016?
THERE WAS A COUNTRY...
...can't cry more than the bereaved!
Well done is better than well said!!!
...can't cry more than the bereaved!
Well done is better than well said!!!
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
That’s life sha.
"Ole kuku ni gbogbo wọn "
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Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
That is life as you have rightfully stated.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
Luck plays a huge role too.
THERE WAS A COUNTRY...
...can't cry more than the bereaved!
Well done is better than well said!!!
...can't cry more than the bereaved!
Well done is better than well said!!!
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
That's why football, like many entertainment professions, is a slippery slope. Yet we berate these guysDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
when they have a bad game, and overhype when they performed just adequately. I want to argue that
at the junior level, some of the current SE players were not the best available then.
We need to temper our expectations with the reality that there is no guaranty in this endeavor.
I would like our teams to be presentable and competitive, winning would be the gravy.
"We now live in a nation where doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge,
governments destroy freedom, the press destroys information, religion destroys morals, and our banks destroy the economy.”
― Chris Hedges
governments destroy freedom, the press destroys information, religion destroys morals, and our banks destroy the economy.”
― Chris Hedges
Re: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 years Later
Its just a light laugh guys
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 8) years Later
The likes of Adewale Adeyinka (GK), Chigozi Obasi (CM/RB), Mustapha Abdullahi (LB) and Denis Nya (CB) are currently at NPFL clubs, Obasi in particular established himself as the best attacking Right Back in the league and arguably the most dangerous in a dead-ball situation as he ended the season with the joint-most assists despite only playing half of the season.
Adewal Adeyinka broke the clean sheet record last season as he helped Akwa UTD win their first NPFL title in decades
Adewal Adeyinka broke the clean sheet record last season as he helped Akwa UTD win their first NPFL title in decades
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
The pattern is repeated across al footballing nations. Only a few of their youth stars develop to become top notch footballers. The rest end up in lower division clubs for the most part of their careers. Some quit football before their 20s.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Very slippery.joao wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 1:15 amThat's why football, like many entertainment professions, is a slippery slope. Yet we berate these guysDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
when they have a bad game, and overhype when they performed just adequately. I want to argue that
at the junior level, some of the current SE players were not the best available then.
We need to temper our expectations with the reality that there is no guaranty in this endeavor.
I would like our teams to be presentable and competitive, winning would be the gravy.
I suspect that Nigeria actually has a very high rate of return on its youth players making the full national team compared to most nations.
"Ole kuku ni gbogbo wọn "
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Very true.Lolly wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:21 amThe pattern is repeated across al footballing nations. Only a few of their youth stars develop to become top notch footballers. The rest end up in lower division clubs for the most part of their careers. Some quit football before their 20s.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
"Ole kuku ni gbogbo wọn "
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:30 amVery true.Lolly wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:21 amThe pattern is repeated across al footballing nations. Only a few of their youth stars develop to become top notch footballers. The rest end up in lower division clubs for the most part of their careers. Some quit football before their 20s.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
Its actually not true.
Yes there is a lot of slippages in youth football, but the ones that make the elite categories often have a high success rate..
Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.
We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.
We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 8) years Later
...for a guy that shoot dead ball like that why is he not invited to the SE?Sunset wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 4:28 am The likes of Adewale Adeyinka (GK), Chigozi Obasi (CM/RB), Mustapha Abdullahi (LB) and Denis Nya (CB) are currently at NPFL clubs, Obasi in particular established himself as the best attacking Right Back in the league and arguably the most dangerous in a dead-ball situation as he ended the season with the joint-most assists despite only playing half of the season.
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Which part is not true?txj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 4:14 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:30 amVery true.Lolly wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:21 amThe pattern is repeated across al footballing nations. Only a few of their youth stars develop to become top notch footballers. The rest end up in lower division clubs for the most part of their careers. Some quit football before their 20s.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
Its actually not true.
Yes there is a lot of slippages in youth football, but the ones that make the elite categories often have a high success rate..
That only a few youth stars develop into top footballers?
"Ole kuku ni gbogbo wọn "
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Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Haba! We have a thread someone on CE archives that shows we are one of the more successful countries when it comes to our youth team players making it...txj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 4:14 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:30 amVery true.Lolly wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:21 amThe pattern is repeated across al footballing nations. Only a few of their youth stars develop to become top notch footballers. The rest end up in lower division clubs for the most part of their careers. Some quit football before their 20s.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
Its actually not true.
Yes there is a lot of slippages in youth football, but the ones that make the elite categories often have a high success rate..
THERE WAS A COUNTRY...
...can't cry more than the bereaved!
Well done is better than well said!!!
...can't cry more than the bereaved!
Well done is better than well said!!!
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:04 pmWhich part is not true?txj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 4:14 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:30 amVery true.Lolly wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:21 amThe pattern is repeated across al footballing nations. Only a few of their youth stars develop to become top notch footballers. The rest end up in lower division clubs for the most part of their careers. Some quit football before their 20s.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
Its actually not true.
Yes there is a lot of slippages in youth football, but the ones that make the elite categories often have a high success rate..
That only a few youth stars develop into top footballers?
Is that the measure of success; that they develop into top footballers?
And who is a top footballer? NT players, premier league, Barcelona, etc
the problem with the Nigerian case is that when the elite footballers do not break through, they get lost to football pretty much. That's often not the case in Europe and S. America, who have and retain a high level domestic game that such players can fall back on..
That's why this kind of comparison with others misses the point badly...
Many of these countries we are comparing ourselves to have a well developed system for developing young players and are not reliant on the FIFA youth tournaments at all, which is not the case with Nigeria...
Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.
We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.
We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Txjtxj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:23 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:04 pmWhich part is not true?txj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 4:14 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:30 amVery true.Lolly wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:21 amThe pattern is repeated across al footballing nations. Only a few of their youth stars develop to become top notch footballers. The rest end up in lower division clubs for the most part of their careers. Some quit football before their 20s.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
Its actually not true.
Yes there is a lot of slippages in youth football, but the ones that make the elite categories often have a high success rate..
That only a few youth stars develop into top footballers?
Is that the measure of success; that they develop into top footballers?
And who is a top footballer? NT players, premier league, Barcelona, etc
the problem with the Nigerian case is that when the elite footballers do not break through, they get lost to football pretty much. That's often not the case in Europe and S. America, who have and retain a high level domestic game that such players can fall back on..
That's why this kind of comparison with others misses the point badly...
Many of these countries we are comparing ourselves to have a well developed system for developing young players and are not reliant on the FIFA youth tournaments at all, which is not the case with Nigeria...
We actually conducted this research years ago and I believe it can still be located online. It used a sample of players drawn from all over the world and tracked them from global youth tournament to pro level. Apart from Brazil and I believe Costa Rica, the rest of the world was pretty much similar in trajectory of progress from youth tho top level football.
Let me be clear, I am not stating anecdotal evidence here, this is based on research involving random sampling of data and covering all confederations in the world.
The difficulties of statistical thinking describes a puzzling limitation of our mind: our excessive confidence in what we believe we know, and our apparent inability to acknowledge the full extent of our ignorance and the uncertainty of the world we live in. We are prone to overestimate how much we understand about the world and to underestimate the role of chance in events -- Daniel Kahneman (2011), Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Enugu II wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 7:58 pmTxjtxj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:23 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:04 pmWhich part is not true?txj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 4:14 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:30 amVery true.Lolly wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:21 amThe pattern is repeated across al footballing nations. Only a few of their youth stars develop to become top notch footballers. The rest end up in lower division clubs for the most part of their careers. Some quit football before their 20s.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
Its actually not true.
Yes there is a lot of slippages in youth football, but the ones that make the elite categories often have a high success rate..
That only a few youth stars develop into top footballers?
Is that the measure of success; that they develop into top footballers?
And who is a top footballer? NT players, premier league, Barcelona, etc
the problem with the Nigerian case is that when the elite footballers do not break through, they get lost to football pretty much. That's often not the case in Europe and S. America, who have and retain a high level domestic game that such players can fall back on..
That's why this kind of comparison with others misses the point badly...
Many of these countries we are comparing ourselves to have a well developed system for developing young players and are not reliant on the FIFA youth tournaments at all, which is not the case with Nigeria...
We actually conducted this research years ago and I believe it can still be located online. It used a sample of players drawn from all over the world and tracked them from global youth tournament to pro level. Apart from Brazil and I believe Costa Rica, the rest of the world was pretty much similar in trajectory of progress from youth tho top level football.
Let me be clear, I am not stating anecdotal evidence here, this is based on research involving random sampling of data and covering all confederations in the world.
I'm familiar with your report. But just as I mentioned above, the issue of what qualifies as top level football remains.
In your report, and my memory may be wrong here, I seem to recall it was based on national team appearance.
Using England as an example, the windows thru which young players transition to top level football is very wider than the FIFA tournaments and NT football.
Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.
We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.
We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Txjtxj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:10 pmEnugu II wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 7:58 pmTxjtxj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:23 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:04 pmWhich part is not true?
That only a few youth stars develop into top footballers?
Is that the measure of success; that they develop into top footballers?
And who is a top footballer? NT players, premier league, Barcelona, etc
the problem with the Nigerian case is that when the elite footballers do not break through, they get lost to football pretty much. That's often not the case in Europe and S. America, who have and retain a high level domestic game that such players can fall back on..
That's why this kind of comparison with others misses the point badly...
Many of these countries we are comparing ourselves to have a well developed system for developing young players and are not reliant on the FIFA youth tournaments at all, which is not the case with Nigeria...
We actually conducted this research years ago and I believe it can still be located online. It used a sample of players drawn from all over the world and tracked them from global youth tournament to pro level. Apart from Brazil and I believe Costa Rica, the rest of the world was pretty much similar in trajectory of progress from youth tho top level football.
Let me be clear, I am not stating anecdotal evidence here, this is based on research involving random sampling of data and covering all confederations in the world.
I'm familiar with your report. But just as I mentioned above, the issue of what qualifies as top level football remains.
In your report, and my memory may be wrong here, I seem to recall it was based on national team appearance.
Using England as an example, the windows thru which young players transition to top level football is very wider than the FIFA tournaments and NT football.
Yes you are correct that the work was focus on national youth teams.
But bear in mind that such teams represent, most likely, the supposedly top talents in their countries at the time. Now if some are not making it to the top grade do you not think that a similar trajectory appears among the population that did not make the national youth team?
The difficulties of statistical thinking describes a puzzling limitation of our mind: our excessive confidence in what we believe we know, and our apparent inability to acknowledge the full extent of our ignorance and the uncertainty of the world we live in. We are prone to overestimate how much we understand about the world and to underestimate the role of chance in events -- Daniel Kahneman (2011), Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
So it seems we are not exactly on the same page here.txj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:23 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:04 pmWhich part is not true?txj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 4:14 pmDamunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:30 amVery true.Lolly wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:21 amThe pattern is repeated across al footballing nations. Only a few of their youth stars develop to become top notch footballers. The rest end up in lower division clubs for the most part of their careers. Some quit football before their 20s.Damunk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:39 am Must be hard for players like Chidera Ezeh, Musa Yahaya, Alampasu, Akinjide etc to see the progress of their teammates and juniors like Ndidi, Nacho, Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Uzoho, Osimhen and Chukwueze while their careers don’t really seem to be going anywhere.
That’s life sha.
Its actually not true.
Yes there is a lot of slippages in youth football, but the ones that make the elite categories often have a high success rate..
That only a few youth stars develop into top footballers?
Is that the measure of success; that they develop into top footballers?
And who is a top footballer? NT players, premier league, Barcelona, etc
the problem with the Nigerian case is that when the elite footballers do not break through, they get lost to football pretty much. That's often not the case in Europe and S. America, who have and retain a high level domestic game that such players can fall back on..
That's why this kind of comparison with others misses the point badly...
Many of these countries we are comparing ourselves to have a well developed system for developing young players and are not reliant on the FIFA youth tournaments at all, which is not the case with Nigeria...
What I was referring to specifically was the elite youth footballers that make it to tournaments like the U17 World Cup.
A study of those players specifically is likely to reveal that a surprisingly small percentage make it to the full adult game’s ‘elite’ level equivalent of what they once were at the youth level. That could be national teams or top leagues and clubs.
In addition, it is not strictly about Nigerian players. The study I started (but wasn’t able to complete due to time factors) was a worldwide one using FIFA databases. It is still something I’d consider completing because I haven’t really seen such a comprehensive study done anywhere.
That’s my point.
"Ole kuku ni gbogbo wọn "
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 8) years Later
[/quote]...for a guy that shoot dead ball like that why is he not invited to the SE?
[/quote]
There might be other things he doesn’t have in order to be the complete player, but even if he did, you also know uncle Rohr and his assistants were not sold on the local league
[/quote]
There might be other things he doesn’t have in order to be the complete player, but even if he did, you also know uncle Rohr and his assistants were not sold on the local league
Re: Update: 2013 Golden Eaglets 2 (Now 4) years Later
Enugu II wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:25 pmTxjtxj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:10 pmEnugu II wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 7:58 pmTxjtxj wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 5:23 pm
Is that the measure of success; that they develop into top footballers?
And who is a top footballer? NT players, premier league, Barcelona, etc
the problem with the Nigerian case is that when the elite footballers do not break through, they get lost to football pretty much. That's often not the case in Europe and S. America, who have and retain a high level domestic game that such players can fall back on..
That's why this kind of comparison with others misses the point badly...
Many of these countries we are comparing ourselves to have a well developed system for developing young players and are not reliant on the FIFA youth tournaments at all, which is not the case with Nigeria...
We actually conducted this research years ago and I believe it can still be located online. It used a sample of players drawn from all over the world and tracked them from global youth tournament to pro level. Apart from Brazil and I believe Costa Rica, the rest of the world was pretty much similar in trajectory of progress from youth tho top level football.
Let me be clear, I am not stating anecdotal evidence here, this is based on research involving random sampling of data and covering all confederations in the world.
I'm familiar with your report. But just as I mentioned above, the issue of what qualifies as top level football remains.
In your report, and my memory may be wrong here, I seem to recall it was based on national team appearance.
Using England as an example, the windows thru which young players transition to top level football is very wider than the FIFA tournaments and NT football.
Yes you are correct that the work was focus on national youth teams.
But bear in mind that such teams represent, most likely, the supposedly top talents in their countries at the time. Now if some are not making it to the top grade do you not think that a similar trajectory appears among the population that did not make the national youth team?
My point is that they do not necessarily represent the top youth talent, cus this is a function of the importance countries attach to it.
But most of the countries in europe have an academy pathway, which does not always prioritize the FIFA tournaments as say Nigeria does.
England only changed this a few years ago, but have since gone back to focusing on their internal pathway from academy to first team, which has proven to be quite successful.
I did an analysis of the Chrisantus U17 players, looking at the final four teams and its quite instructive.
But the key is what measure of success you are applying. When you expand it to top division appearance as I did, you get a different picture...
Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.
We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.
We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp