What were your respective goals when the FIFA U-20 World Cup began?
It’s an important competition because if you don’t do things well at this level, you won’t go on to succeed at the level above. It’s a final hurdle before joining the elite. There are a lot of players who will move from the U-20 team to the senior team, so it’s important to perform well.
What do you think players learn in an environment like this?
JO: For us, the situation is a little different as we’ve been eliminated. The players need to understand, in particular, that in tournaments like this it’s the referee who decides everything. Whatever they may be feeling, it’s the referee who has the final say, and that’s just the way it is. The referee has his reasons, and he’s doing the best he can as well. In the context of that match [against Uruguay], the lads needed to stay calm and not react too quickly – but human nature is what it is.
You have both been involved in several international tournaments as coaches, and no doubt experienced a whole range of emotions. Which was the greatest challenge?
JO: For me, this tournament has undoubtedly been the most difficult. We had a lot of pressure on us to get results, so we had to build a team with that in mind. It’s a real challenge to combine building for the future with getting results in the immediate present.
John Obuh on the importance of a player’s psychological development In a tournament like this, do you let your players go out and make the most of being in the host country, or do you prefer to keep a close eye on them?
You need to understand that the African mentality isn’t similar to the European one. Our boys might be distracted by certain things, which isn’t necessarily the case with European players. Because of that, you have to try to keep them focused for the duration of the tournament. Of course, we let them go out from time to time as a group, to also create a good atmosphere and give them a little freedom. We didn’t do it too often, though, as that doesn’t work well with the African mentality.
At this level, do you think it is more important for the players to develop psychologically or to improve their football?
JO: The psychological aspect is crucial and that’s what you can have the most influence on. The goal is to make sure that, later on, they’re strong enough mentally to get through the difficult moments that inevitably come. This is the best time to talk to them, explain this crucial side of football and make them understand that everything is linked: you have to be strong in your mind as well as physically fit.
Are there differences between African, South American and European teams at this age, and if so what are they?
For me, there are a lot of differences. African players have technical qualities, there’s no doubt about that, but they lack collective discipline. That’s something that’s tough to teach them because they believe so much in their own personal talent – too much, in fact, because you see matches where the individual takes precedence over the team. European sides are more respectful of the instructions they get and, as a result, they obey the tactics decided on at the start until the end of the game.
You played the game yourselves. Has that helped you to be better coaches?
If you played at a certain level, there’s no question that it helps you become a coach. It’s like a child who watches his dad and tries to take something on board that’ll help him grow; later on, that child will try to pass on his own knowledge and experience.
What do you remember about playing together?
He was one of the best midfielders of his era, a very good player. I was a forward and he gave me a lot of good passes, and it was a real pleasure to play together. Plus he’s still my friend, which is what matters most.
