By Aderonke Ojo
Dr.Suleiman Adejoh, the President of the Messengers of Peace (MOP) Stars Football Academy in Abuja , has emphasized the importance of scoring goals for the Nigeria’s Under-17 national team after their friendly match that ended in draw on Monday at the Moshood Abiola national stadium.
According to him, the team’s friendly match against Nigeria’s Under-17 national team,is the second time.
The first leg of the game ended 1-0 in favor of the national team, with MOP Stars FC Academy conceding due to a defensive error but rebounded today with a draw in the second match encounter.
The encounter served as a crucial assessment for the Under-17 team as they prepare to represent Nigeria in the forthcoming tournament in Abidjan.
He said the Under-17 players have shown impressive skill and maturity, demonstrating their readiness to represent Nigeria at the highest level.
“ I have been impressed by the quality and grounding of the Under-17 team; they seem well-prepared to excel in the tournament,” he said.
Unfortunately, the team’s inability to score goals remains a concern.
Adejoh praised the team’s defensive skills but criticized their inability to score, stating that “the business of soccer is crucial to score goals in football.
“ Despite their strong performance, the Under-17 team struggled to find the net,as they were unable to score today, just like in our previous match.
“ This match probably served as an evaluation for the technical team to gauge the team’s chances of success in the tournament,” he said.
A key observation from today’s game was the limited service to the national team’s forwards, hindering their scoring opportunities.
“ The teams wingers focus on individual play rather than teamwork was evident, which isn’t ideal for a national team that needs to work together to score goals.
“ The team’s wingers prioritized individual performances over collective effort, but in football, scoring goals is what matters most.
“ We can’t afford individualistic play in the national team; the objective is to score goals, and without that, we are not achieving anything,” he said.
He urged the coaching staff to rework their approach so the team can convert chances and bring glory to Nigeria.
“ Highlighting the team’s strengths and weaknesses, and the need for improvement in supplying the ball to attackers.
“ The national team’s technical staff should review their strategy, focusing on goal-scoring and supplying the attackers.
“ The team’s strength lies in their defense and wing play, but they must improve their ability to supply the ball to their attackers to make a meaningful impact in games,” he said.
The president urged the national team to focus on scoring goals and working together as a unit.
“ Stop dribbling, locate your strikers, let them do business, let them do commercial football. That is scoring. That is what we want to see when they travel to represent Nigeria. Goals,” Adejoh advised.
He noted that his club has been progressing despite being established in January 2025 ,the team have shown promise, remaining undefeated in most matches, with our only losses coming against national teams.
“ Despite being a relatively new academy, it has shown great potential.
We have demonstrated that we can compete with national teams, which is a positive sign for our future,” he said.
Meanwhile, MOP Stars is set to participate on October 25th in a tournament in London, where they will face Bradford FC, West Ham United, and Charlton FC.
Adejoh expressed confidence that his team will make Nigeria proud in the upcoming matches.
MOP Stars Football Academy was born out of the need to preach peace in Nigeria through sports and engage young Nigerians positively, while also contributing to the development of football.