Give me Super Eagles job, Bonfrere Jo tells NFF

BY MONICA IHEAKAM
FIFTEEN years after he was shown the exit, former Su­per Eagles coach Bonfrere Jo , has hinted on his readi­ness to handle the senior national side, insisting that he is the right man for the job.
The 60-year-old Dutch­man believed that with his rich experience in Nigerian football, coupled with his past results with the three-time African Champions, he will succeed in returning Super Eagles to the pinna­cle of African football.
Bonfrere, who guided Nigeria’s Dream Team to an Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, told BBC that he is at home in Nigeria and has the re­quired mentality to get Ea­gles soaring again should the NFF entrust him with the plum job.
“No one has done what I achieved and I believe I am the right man to return Nigeria to glory days in Af­rica and the world.
“I have worked in Nige­ria for a long time in the past and I know what to do to get the Super Eagles fly­ing again,” Bonfrere told BBC Sport.
“I love Nigeria because that is where my football mentality is most at home and I have a fantastic re­lationship with the people there” Bonfrere added.
“Apart from Stephen [Keshi], the other local coaches have not suc­ceeded because they cannot give what they don’t have to take the team higher.
“Other foreign coaches have also failed because they come with the arrogant attitude of being a world class coach and a big name to perform magic there, and that wrong notion meant they had no passion, desire and the required knowledge to succeed on the job.
“I was very successful because I did not separate myself from the reality. I worked with youth and do­mestic players; I had faith in my Nigerian assistants and gave my best despite all the challenges.
“No one has done what I achieved and I believe I am the right man to return Nigeria to glory days in Africa and the world.If I am asked to come back, I would have to prove to ev­eryone that my results and performances can win me the support of everyone.
“You can’t complain about criticism or ask for respect if you don’t deserve it. I want another chance to set a standard that will help improve Nigeria football.
“Someone else will come and struggle because he has no idea where he is going but I’m the man to do it be­cause I have proven that in the past.”
Bonfrere began his stormy romance with Ni­geria in 1990, when he was the de facto assistant to Clemens Westerhof. The Dutch coaching duo worked together at the 1990, 1992 and 1994 Afri­can Nations Cups, winning silver, bronze and gold medals.