By Joe Apu
The Nigeria Football Coaches Association, NFCA, has rejected the employment of a foreign coach and instead endorsed the interim manager of the Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen to remain on a permanent basis.
President of the NFCA, Isa Ladan Bosso, in a chat with Sunday SunSports stated that the body wants the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF to do the needful by offering the former Super Eagles captain the job, pointing out that Eguavoen and other Nigerian coaches have proven that they are capable of doing the job.
Bosso stated that from history no foreign coach has won the FIFA World Cup. He pointed out that all the countries that have lifted the World Cup are indigenous coaches and that Nigerian coaches have a better understanding of the country’s playing culture.
“All the coaches that have won the World Cup are indigenes of their countries and the advantage is that they understand the playing culture of their countries. Only an indigenous coach will do the same for Nigeria and given the pedigree of Eguavoen, it is best that he is saddled with the job.
“We have seen the likes of the late Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, Shuaibu Amodu win trophies for Nigeria and nothing says that other indigenous coaches cannot do better given the same privileges and support that all the foreign coaches were given. If Nigerian coaches have what other foreign coaches are given and in good time too, there won’t be any reason for them to be under pressure from players’ agents and scouts or foreign-based players for that matter.Bosso noted further that despite the short time Eguavoen was asked to take up the Eagles job, he performed and can do better if given the right conditions of service. “There’s a need for the NFF leadership to give Nigerian coaches a chance with all the necessary entitlements that goes with the office.”The NFF had announced that Portuguese Jose Peseiro as their preferred choice to take over as permanent coach following the sack of Gernot Rohr and was billed to be in Cameroon as an observer before taking over for the FIFA World Cup playoffs against Ghana.
However, it is rumoured that the NFF has given up on the chase of Jose Peseiro over a disagreement in contract terms.
Last week, the leadership of the NFF had met with the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, on the choice of the next Super Eagles coach. The NFF is expected to submit two technical reports by Monday.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles coach to the FIFA World Cup in Korea/ Japan 2002, Adegboyega Festus Onigbinde, is convinced that Nigerian coaches are capable of leading the national team.
Onigbinde while reacting to the question of who takes over the mantle of the Super Eagles stated that his opinion remains that an indigenous coach remains the best man for the job.