Coach Speak – Nihaal

Mohammad Nihaal Sajjid has worked with Great Goals since 2017. He started playing football in the 8th grade, and went on to captain his school and college team. He represented Tamil Nadu in the Republic Day games in Delhi. He began coaching whilst doing his MBA at Meenakshi College, and made it his career because he could share his enthusiasm and passion towards the game. He believes that good communication skills and time management abilities are great traits in a coach. Nihaal holds an AIFF D license.

You chose to be a football coach because….?

Football has been my passion throughout my life. It gave me pure joy playing it and when a point came when I wanted to explore i started sharing it with others, I found coaching was the right path.

Which is your favourite drill and why?

I love drills that make the players think. I believe football is a game of decision making. Combination drills which incorporate game situations.

What is your favourite moment coaching a class?

The favourite moment is when I find a reluctant child getting interested in playing the game.

Who is your coaching idol and why?

My idol was my first coach (Senin sir) who always believed in me that it was not always about achieving big, it’s about playing the game from the heart and enjoying the sport.

What  is your philosophy as a coach?

My philosophy is “It’s not about win or lose , it’s about having Fun”. The aspect of fun is what will drive us to play more and keep us coming back to the game.

What is your favourite thing about Great Goals?

I like Great Goals because here we believe innovation is the key to success. During this pandemic we did some unbelievable things such as taking the game virtually and making the players believe that football can also be played/practiced at home.  The best part of Great Goals is, it sets everyone to march towards success.

What gives you joy?

The presence of “eager to learn ” kids gives me joy

What’s your favourite tool to motivate a player?

To enthuse and encourage

Great Goals is….

I truly believe a place where skills are identified, tapped and polished. When I think of Great Goals I associate it with the motto  – Skills meet Fun.