The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has banned scouts and hangers-on from the camp of the Super Eagles.
In a statement by the media office of the sports ministry which was made available to our correspondent on Thursday, the sports ministry directed the Nigeria Football Federation to carry out the directive.
“NFF must get rid of hangers on and individuals who do not have clear mandates and are around the National team. These are agents, scouts etc. They should operate outside the perimeter,” the statement quoted Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare.
The sports minister also tasked the NFF to “set up a scientific template to benchmark the performance of the Super Eagles.” This he said will “curb poor performance and mediocrity in the performance of the players.”
“It was also decided that henceforth, invitation of foreign based players to the national team must be based on current form and performance. Foreign based players performance must be properly monitored before being invited to the team,” the statement also added.
Dare has been critical of the Eagles technical crew since they squandered a four-goal lead to draw 4-4 against Sierra Leone in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin November 13.
