E took Nigeria to her first ever FIFA Women’s Under-19 (now Under-20) World Cup in Thailand 2002. Now the veteran soccer coach, Felix Ibe, is once again on the news as he has qualified the country to another cup, but this time, at the newly inaugurated U-17 level.

Having surpassed the task of qualifying for the maiden edition of this World Cup in New Zealand in October, Ibe, popularly known as ‘Gabosky,’ wants to make a new plan ahead of October and will invite all who are confident enough to play football at that level, but was quick to warn that only players who pass the fitness and drilling exercise during the selection process will be deemed fit and handed a shirt to New Zealand.

According to Ibe, players abound in the country both in the male and female categories, but it’s not always easy making it to the final list. Some players, he said, have the ability and skill necessary for the game, but lack the zeal to wear the green-white-green of Nigeria.

In this light, he noted that same will apply to the players that will be struggling to be in New Zealand.

"Now that we are close to New Zealand, the team will continue to undergo some major changes. There is going to be an open camp where players will be assembled and re-assembled. Everyone will be given a fair trial and after each phase of trainings and it is only at the end that the best will be chosen from the lot to wear Nigeria’s jersey in October.

"It’s always easy for players to tell you they have all it takes to make the national team, but one thing is that grabbing the national shirts does not come on a platter of gold. Players have to work hard to merit their call-ups because the World Cup stage is a different ball game entirely."

The former chief coach of Rivers Angels and one-time technical adviser of Jegede Babes, was blunt in saying that only team that have a well-laid beginning, can stand the test of strong oppositions.

"The national U-17 team is not going to be different from what a national side should look like. You know that a building without foundation will collapse. This is why we started building this youthful side from the scratch, and now look at where they are. By the time they participate at the World Cup, nobody will tag them underdogs from Africa.

The Imo State-born tactician explained that the push to have an U-17 teams began in 2004 with Alhaja Ayo Omidiran and other stakeholders who vigorously campaigned for a women’s youth team.

"We started the campaign for an U-17 national side with Alhaja Omidiran. We spoke with the technical committee of the NFA and gave them reasons we need to form a female youth that will graduate into the senior teams.

"When the nod for us to go ahead was finally given, we took it as a great challenge and started with the formation and management of an U-17 team. We were going from club to club and monitoring players during the Challenge Cups across the country.

"It’s a good thing that we have qualified for the first FIFA organised U-17 World Cup and it’s necessary we prepare them well ahead of the event."

Ibe is happily married with five grown-ups, some of whom are graduates and has his wife to thank for her undaunting encouragement. Having spent close to 24 years in the women’s soccer scene in Nigeria, the bulky-built coach was responsible for turning the fortunes of most players around as many of them who were into handball then, were readily converted to footballers and some ended up making part of the team to represent Africa and Nigeria at the first FIFA Women’s World Cup in China in 1995.

"I went into soccer in 1986 and along the line, we were able to form a little female football competitions and after some years, YSFON, under Tony Eke, began pushing for the NFA to reorganise female football. When that was done, the federation assisted in producing the first set of World Cup players for Nigeria."