After guiding Remo Stars to a historic Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title in the 2024/2025 season, Daniel Ogunmodede has set his sights on even greater goals, including a bold campaign in the upcoming CAF Champions League, Completesports.com reports.
But beyond the silverware, Ogunmodede is equally passionate about reshaping the landscape of Nigerian football, especially at grassroots and club administration levels.
Speaking to Complete Sports YouTube channel (@completesports) on the sidelines of the Troost Ekong Foundation Charity Celebrity Match, the respected coach shared insights into the foundations of football development, the role of private ownership, and the bigger picture for the domestic game.
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“We have so much to do and one of it, if not the most important, is our coaching education,” Ogunmodede stated. “If our coaching education is improved, development of players will be improved.”
“Continuity Is Important” – Ogunmodede Private Ownership of Clubs
Having led the privately-owned Ikenne-based club to the NPFL summit, Ogunmodede highlighted the vital role that private individuals and investors play in sustaining football development in Nigeria.
“They are very important. I’ve always said this times without number – they are very important because they bring continuity, and continuity is important in football development,” he said.
Ogunmodede believes that frequent administrative disruptions are detrimental to club progress and has a clear vision for a more stable system
He added: “If we want to develop, there must be continuity. Not that you have somebody running a club and after three, four years you have to bring in another person that destroys the structure…
“The government should be involved to provide facilities, and private sectors should be involved in running the clubs. The clubs should be mortgaged to private investors so that there can be continuity.”
CAF Champions League and Beyond For Remo Stars
As Remo Stars prepare to represent Nigeria in the 2025/2026 CAF Champions League, Ogunmodede remains grounded and focused on improvement.
“We want to be better. What we have done again – it has always been we want to, we want to, we want to. And this year we’re able to grab it. Now we want to maintain it, we want to sustain it.”
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“Is it sustainable? Is it possible? Yes, it’s sustainable. And that is exactly what we want to do.”
No Quick Fixes – Building a FIFA Club World Cup-Worthy System
With Nigerian clubs’ absent from the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Ogunmodede urged patience and long-term planning if Nigeria is to catch up with Africa’s elite.
“We need to concentrate on coaching education, grooming young ones that are well taught about football. It’s not a rocket science… It’s not what will happen now and we expect the result in one, two, three years. No, we need to be patient,” he stated.
Citing South Africa as an example, the Remo Stars coach stressed the need to invest in infrastructure and technical knowledge:
“South Africa hosted the World Cup. They were not concentrating on winning the World Cup. They only used it to develop their football… And look at what they have today – a lot of facilities… They were able to build on it to maximise its potentials.”
Ogunmodede, who also serves as an Assistant Coach with the Super Eagles, is fast becoming one of the most respected minds in Nigerian football – combining tactical acumen with a clear vision for sustainable development.
By Nnamdi Ezekute
