Former athlete, Seigha Porbeni, has described Morocco’s victory at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup as a big lesson for Nigeria.
The Young Atlas Lions made history in the early hours of Monday by beating Argentina 2-0 in the final game to win the World Cup.
The Argentines had earlier in the championship decimated Nigeria’s Flying Eagles 4-0 in the round of 16.
Morocco’s victory in the final, played at the legendary National Stadium in Santiago, Chile, reaffirmed the country’s steady rise in football.
The North Africans’ group was labelled the “Group of death” due to the tough opposition, with rivals including Spain, Brazil and Mexico, all of whom had won the U-20 World Cup at some point. But against all odds, the Moroccans finished top of the group with six points after a convincing 2-0 victory over Spain, a 2-1 win against Brazil and a narrow 0-1 defeat by Mexico, which did not prevent them from qualifying for the round of 16. The Moroccans went on to beat South Korea 2-1 in the round of 16 and dispatched the United States 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
Porbeni, a former Director of Sports at the University of Ibadan, and later, in Delta State, told The Guardian that the success in Chile represents the effort and dedication of Moroccan players.
“For the past two or three years, Morocco has been knocking on the door,” Porbeni said. “To crown their effort as world champions at the U-20 level means Morocco has done proper work. I commend them for putting up a squad with great talent, discipline and enthusiasm.
“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 lamented that the Nigerian sports system, particularly football, will take a long time to get on the right footing, adding that the national teams are finding it difficult to compete effectively at major competitions due to administrative blunders.
“The huge interference in the game leads to poor selection because the governors, senators, House of Representatives members, commissioners, scouts and all manner of people will call the coach to include their candidates.
“Again, poor officiating by referees, who operate as mini gods in our local league, is another big issue. The league has lost its sense of direction and is evidently suffering from poor management and structural instability.
“Rather than serving as a truly competitive domestic competition, it has gradually become a mere launchpad for players seeking opportunities abroad.
“Look at what happened to Remo Stars FC on Sunday. Remo Stars are champions of the NPFL, but they were made to look ordinary by visiting Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in their CAF Champions League tie in Abeokuta.
“The outcome of the match is a clear reflection of how far the standard of our league has declined. It is high time stakeholders prioritise genuine reforms, professional administration, and financial transparency to restore credibility and global respect to Nigerian football,” Porbeni stated.
Blaming corruption and nepotism for the country’s steep fall in international football, former Secretary of the Nigeria Handball Association, Victor Onogagamue, said: “Nigerians are very wicked in their thinking. Corruption is the root cause of the lack of progress in all aspects of the national teams. We can’t get anything right until we change our evil ways.”
