Morocco’s Rise in Youth Football Highlights Nigeria’s Decline

Morocco’s Rise in Youth Football Highlights Nigeria’s Decline

By Admin 

Morocco’s triumphant performance at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup has been hailed as a landmark achievement in African football and a wake-up call for Nigeria’s struggling football system, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

In the early hours of Monday, the Young Atlas Lions secured a 2-0 victory over tournament favourites Argentina at the iconic National Stadium in Santiago, Chile, becoming the first North African side to win the U-20 World Cup.

Their achievement stands in sharp contrast to the performance of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, who suffered a 4-0 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16.

Morocco’s path to glory was anything but easy. Drawn into the tournament’s so-called “Group of Death” alongside football powerhouses Spain, Brazil, and Mexico all former U-20 champions the Moroccans defied expectations. They topped the group with six points after a 2-0 win against Spain, a 2-1 triumph over Brazil, and a narrow 1-0 loss to Mexico. The team then eliminated South Korea (2-1), the United States (3-1), and France (1-0) en route to their historic final.

Former Nigerian athlete and sports administrator, Seigha Porbeni, praised Morocco’s meticulous preparation and called on Nigerian football authorities to draw urgent lessons from the North African nation’s development model.

“For the past two or three years, Morocco has been knocking on the door,” said Porbeni, a former Director of Sports at the University of Ibadan and Delta State. “To crown their effort as world champions at U-20 level means they’ve done proper work. I commend them for assembling a team full of talent, discipline, and hunger.” He told guardian.ng

Porbeni highlighted the systemic issues plaguing Nigerian football, including disorganisation in domestic leagues and political interference in player selection.

“This is what you get when league football in your country is well-organised. But will Nigeria ever learn from what Morocco just did?” he asked.

According to him, the national teams continue to underperform due to poor governance, corruption, and undue interference by politicians and other powerful figures.

“Coaches are pressured by governors, senators, and other officials to select their preferred players,” he said. “This level of interference compromises team integrity and hampers performance.”

He also pointed to the declining standard of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), lamenting subpar officiating and mismanagement.

“Our referees operate like demi-gods, and our league is structurally unstable. It’s no longer a competitive platform but a mere stepping stone for players seeking to move abroad,” Porbeni noted.

He cited Remo Stars FC’s recent 2-0 loss to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League as further evidence of the league’s deterioration.

“That match reflected the reality of our league. If we’re serious about competing globally, stakeholders must prioritise real reforms, transparency, and professionalism,” he said.

Victor Onogagamue, former Secretary of the Nigeria Handball Association, echoed Porbeni’s concerns, blaming corruption and nepotism for the country’s decline on the international stage.

“Nigerians are very wicked in their thinking. Corruption is the root cause of the lack of progress in all aspects of the national teams,” Onogagamue stated. “Until we change our mindset and clean up the system, nothing will work.”

As Morocco celebrates a new era in football, Nigerian fans and stakeholders are once again left reflecting on what could be if only the right structures and values were in place.