Our League Can Be Among The World's Best With Better Organisation, Funding –Henry Makinwa

He is a product of youth football. He is one of  a few players who were able to earn a university degree while still committed to playing football.

His passion for the sport had been total. In his days at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Henry Makinwa was a jewel that could not be hidden. His talent had attracted reviews from all those who saw him play and it was no wonder that he was a natural choice when it came to which kind of players were qualified to represent Nigeria in the World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan 1995.

Led by coach Fanny Amun who had earlier won the FIFA/JVC U-17 World Cup in Japan a few years before that, the team gave a good account of themselves despite their hasty preparations and late arrival at the competition's venue.

He remembers the event with nostalgia, saying it was an experience he still cherishes.

"It was a great feeling to know that I was good enough to make the team comprising of the best players from all universities in Nigeria to make the national team to represent the country in the football event at the World University Games that year," Makinwa recalls in a recent interview

"I guess that was how my football career took off," he says

Makinwa would go on to build on that outing to cut a niche for himself in the game. After graduating with a B.sc degree, he went on to play for top Nigerian teams like Concord FC (Abeokuta), Iwuanyanyu Nationale FC (Owerri) and a few others, before moving overseas to play for clubs like Vitoria Setubal (Portugal), Rapid Bucharest (Romania), and the famous Al Ahly FC (Egypt).

Today, he has moved on to another stage in the game. Just like Fanny Amun, his mentor, he has decided to dedicate his time and energies to imparting on to a new generation of footballers the experience he has garnered, playing the game from his youth up to the time he decided to hang his boots.

"I decided to go into coaching the moment I hung my boots. Coaching have always been a career I had passion for. Today, I am mentoring a new generation of footballers who I know will become household names in the not too distant future," he says.

Makinwa, in preparation for this phase of his life worked very hard to get his himself acquainted with the changing dynamics of the game by studying for a coaching license which through years of working with the Spanish Football Federation.

At the end, he not only got certified as a level 3 coach by the Spanish FA, he also holds a UEFA Pro License.

His style of coaching easily reflects the high standards he attained, working outside the country. He was an instant success when he decided to come back home to handle some clubs in the Nigerian League.

Now, he has had a vast experience from traversing the country and coaching clubs like ABS FC, Ilorin, Abia Warriors FC, Katsina United FC, and Vandreeza FC, Uyo.

"Coaching in Nigeria has been a new experience for me. It has its bottlenecks but even then I have been able to achieve some modest successes. 

Makinwa also believes that with what he has seen in terms of the talent available in the country's league, it can match some of the best around the world with better funding and organisation.

"We have two very important variables working in our favour. That is the human resources in terms of talented players that litter the whole Nigerian landscape from North to South, from East to West. Then, we have the football culture. This is so because Nigerians naturally love football. Now, with these variables in place, we only need better funding, good infrastructure and better organisation to take our football you the level where it match some of the best around the world.

"Now, this also brings to my mind the questions which are always asked about whether Nigeria can win the FIFA World Cup someday. My answer is an unequivocal yes. We have what it takes to win the World Cup. We only need to be better organised, show more transparency when it comes to funding, get the government to hands off the running of football clubs in the country and completely ensure professionalism in facets of the game. And then, the sky will be the limit," he says.