The convener of Sport Meet Tech Africa, a platform dedicated to the interweaving of sports and technology, Femi Abioye, has hailed the appointment of an all Nigerian but one coaching crew for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The recent appointment of an all-Nigerian coaching crew by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) marks a significant milestone in the national sports journey.
However, the inclusion of a foreign professional as a football analyst within the crew brings to light an area of opportunity for the local talent pool—the realm of football analysis.
According to Abioye, “Football analysis is no longer a luxury but a necessity in the modern game. It is the backbone of strategic planning and performance enhancement. As such, it is imperative that we invest in building our own capacity to manage these roles. By doing so, we not only retain our national identity within the sport but also create a sustainable model for success that can be replicated across the continent.
He tasked the Minister of Sports with the need for capacity building and skill development in taking advantage of leveraging technology to solve problems in the sports ecosystem, adding that there is a growing demand for skilled football analysts who can interpret complex data and translate it into actionable insights for team improvement.
Abioye said that there is a need for Nigeria and indeed Africa to participate in global sports technological advancement, which has become a big industry as the global sports tech market size was estimated to reach $41.8 billion in 2027, and embracing the technological aspects of sports will place Nigeria at the forefront of innovation in African football.