Akpoborie: European clubs don’t have time to develop our league players

Jonathan Akpoborie, former Super Eagles forward, says clubs in Europe do not have time to help develop players in the Nigerian league like before.

Speaking with TheCable, the former Wolfsburg striker said that is why players in the country’s league can hardly be seen plying their trade with top European clubs.

“Europeans don’t have time again to develop our players for us. We have to do it now. We have to do it ourselves,” Akpoborie told TheCable.

“This takes time and that time European clubs don’t have it. That is why you hardly see some of our players in the Bundesliga except the established ones who are already in Europe. That is when they want to buy them.

“But if they come from our league in Nigeria, they won’t buy them. They will not because they are not ready.

“When I was playing, when a Nigerian player comes to Europe, they will tell you, he needs at least 3 to 6 months to start playing.

“But now they will tell you, he needs a year or more before he will be able to play in their team tactically.

Akpoborie also believed that Wolfsburg helped to shape Victor Osimhen when he was with the Bundesliga side.

“Look at Osimhen? He had to learn football all over gain at Wolfsburg. It was a learning curve for him. That’s why we all can see him up there today,” he added.

The ex-Eagles forward noted that improving the quality of Nigerian coaches will go a long way to help the players before moving to Europe.

“We keep saying that they should improve the quality of our coaches in our league and our football in general,” he added.

“Because that is the biggest problem. If you don’t coach the boys as early as possible and you don’t teach them what they will go and learn in Europe, they will have to start all over again to learn football.”

The 52-year-old was part of the Nigerian team that won the first edition of the FIFA U-16 Championship in 1985, scoring in the final against the then West Germany team.

In 13 appearances for the Super Eagles, he scored four goals.

He also won bronze and silver at the 1992 and 2000 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) respectively.