Eagles job: Baraje, Mastorudes differ on foreign tactican

BY JUDITH NWABIA

PLATEAU United head coach, Zachary Baraje has described the deci­sion of the Nigeria Foot­ball Federation (NFF) to hire a foreign manager for the Super Eagles as absurd, given all the training and re-training of the interim coach, Salisu Yusuf and other Nigerian coaches that took part in the capacity enhancement courses in England.

Baraje argued that the cash, energy and the time expended on the trip would amount to a waste if eventually the techni­cal adviser job of the Eagles is handed to an expatriate by the NFF.

“I want to ask a ques­tion, what has happened to the training received by some coaches taken abroad by the NFF some time last year? Will the training they had just go down the drain like that?

“I am not in support of bringing a foreign coach to lead the Eagles when we have coaches that are qualified and have gone through the necessary training to be equipped for the challenge of coaching the senior na­tional team.

“Salisu Yusuf was part of the coaches sent to the United Kingdom not too long ago for a training course and he has worked with past Super Eagles coaches as an assistant. He should be given the chance to lead the team now.

“We are still struggling to pay the salaries of national team coaches in­cluding the ones that are dead. How are we going to offset the salaries of a foreign coach?,” Baraje querried.

However, renowned football Administra­tor, John Mastoroudes has said in contrast that Nigerian Coaches do not have international pedi­gree and so they cannot be considered seriously for the Super Eagles job.

Mastoroudes was a member of the Presiden­tial Task force charged with the objective of en­suring the Super Eagles qualified for the first World Cup on African soil in 2010.

In a chat with football­live.ng, the seasoned ad­ministrator urged the FA to hire a foreign coach who’s capable of earning the players’ respect.

The NFF has an­nounced that over 20 coaches including Peter Ijeh and Salisu Yusuf have applied for the prestigious job of the Super Eagles. The soccer federation’s technical committee meets tomor­row to prune down the list to three.