Nigerian Clubs Should Not Copy Manchester City – French Coach Warns

A well-travelled French coach and technical director, Noel Tosi has warned Nigerian football clubs of the dangers they face in trying to copy the strategies of European sides like Manchester City of England and Barcelona of Spain.

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Tosi issued the charge on the sidelines of action in the Lagos zone of the third-tier division, Nationwide League One (NLO), where he inferred that most competing clubs are biting off more than they can chew by trying to play European styles of football.

The former national team coach in Mauritania and Congo, who is visiting Lagos on the cards of Real Sapphire FC, added that NLO clubs need to concentrate more on skill development and implementation of strategy than studying European techniques.

While alluding to the possibility of Real Sapphire FC gaining promotion to the second-tier Nigerian National League (NNL) at the end of this season in the NLO, Tosi stressed that clubs should play according to their country’s traditional pattern.

He argued, “I see the NLO as a show of skill, but it is not up to the high level. For the high level, you need more skill and more work. You need to work more on putting strategy in different levels of the pitch.

“Every team wants to play like Manchester City; but we have to admit that we are not Manchester City, we are not Barcelona. A team from Nigeria has to play like a Nigerian team.
“Sometimes, what you see on TV is not good for your coach and your players; because they don’t have the quality to play like those in Europe.”

The 64-year-old tactician, who featured as a goalkeeper in his playing days and is the current technical director at Africa Sports of Ivory Coast, went on to express his admiration for Nigerian football and the country as a whole.

“I like Nigeria, I like Nigerian players, I like the Nigerian game and I like your country.

“I also like Real Sapphire’s team. It’s a team in progress. I think they can win the NLO and go onto the top championship next year,” Tosi concluded.

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