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NPFL U-17 Youth League: Elegbeleye Reveals Major Reason Behind Programme Creation

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has revealed that the major reason for making inroads into the NPFL Youth League is to have a pool of players the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) can consider for international youth tournaments.

At a media parley in Benin, venue of the maiden edition of NPFL Youth League Playoff, NFF 2nd Vice-Chairman and NPFL Chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye also said the league body has picked some former Super Eagles players whose recommendation would be relied upon to assemble a solid structure for the junior national teams.

“Nigeria have an enviable record of winning the U-16 World Cup on five occasions. However, we couldn’t even qualify from Africa the last time the competition was held due to our lack of planning.

Now that we know that without good planning, you can’t get result, we decided to come up with the idea of the NPFL Youth League exclusively for players in the elite league.

With that, we hope to have a pool of talented players where NFF can pick for U-17 Africa Cup of Nations or FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

He insisted that NPFL should be the main focus of such players.

Four ex-Nigeria International players were unveiled as brand ambassadors.

They are current Super Eagles coordinator Patrick Paschal; Nigeria’s third highest scorer of all time, Yakubu Aiyegbeni; Seyi Olofinjana, a chemical engineer and NFF technical director, Augustine Eguavoen.

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**Title:** Croatia confirm Slaven Bilic return as former West Ham boss replaces Zlatko Dalic **Meta Description:** Slaven Bilic has been appointed Croatia head coach for a second spell after Zlatko Dalic stepped down following the 2026 World Cup. **Slug:** croatia-confirm-slaven-bilic-return-head-coach **Alt Image Text:** Slaven Bilic during his unveiling as Croatia national team head coach — # Croatia confirm Slaven Bilic return as former West Ham boss replaces Zlatko Dalic Croatia have officially confirmed the return of Slaven Bilic as head coach, with the former West Ham United manager replacing Zlatko Dalic following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Bilic returns to the national team after more than a decade away, ending a two-year absence from management as he begins a second spell in charge of his country. ## Bilic begins a second spell with Croatia The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) announced Bilic’s appointment after the Executive Committee unanimously approved the recommendation of federation president Marijan Kustic. Bilic previously managed Croatia between 2006 and 2012, guiding the national team through two European Championships before embarking on a successful club coaching career that included spells with West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion, Besiktas and Al-Ittihad. The federation believes his experience and deep understanding of Croatian football make him the ideal candidate to lead the next generation. ## Huge task replacing Zlatko Dalic Bilic succeeds one of the most successful managers in Croatia’s history. Dalic stepped down after the 2026 World Cup, bringing an end to a remarkable tenure that included a World Cup final, a World Cup semi-final and several memorable tournament campaigns. Federation president Marijan Kustic acknowledged the size of the challenge but expressed complete confidence in Bilic. > “I would like to once again thank Zlatko for the exceptional results he achieved during his tenure. It is not easy to follow in his footsteps, but we are convinced Slaven is the right person for this role.” Kustic added that Bilic’s international pedigree and extensive coaching experience were decisive factors behind the appointment. ## Bilic honoured to return Bilic described his return as the greatest honour of his coaching career and admitted he understands the expectations that come with leading one of international football’s most consistent tournament teams. > “I would like to thank President Kustic and the Federation’s leadership for the confidence they have shown in allowing me to lead the Croatian national team once again — the greatest honour for any Croatian coach.” The 57-year-old also praised the standards established under Dalic while insisting he is ready for the responsibility. > “I am fully aware of the high expectations that follow such a remarkable period under Zlatko Dalic, but anyone who takes charge of Croatia must be prepared for that because we are a football nation that lives and breathes its national team.” ## A new chapter begins Bilic now faces the task of building on Dalic’s legacy while preparing Croatia for the next international cycle. With a blend of experienced stars and emerging young talent at his disposal, Croatia will hope their returning manager can guide them to another successful era on the international stage.
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