By Dr. Salau Dee Elf (NUGA Publicity Liaison Officer 1993-2001)
When Finidi George walked out of his coaching job with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in May, nobody envisaged that it would take this long before another foreign Coach would be unveiled, since the NFF cunningly made Finidi resign by informing him they will hire a foreign Technical Adviser which was not part of the agreement reached with him.
But two months down the line the embattled Federation which has funding challenges to hire a first class foreign Technical Adviser is still rolling on the same spot, a few weeks to the start of the 2025 CAF Nations Cup qualifiers in August 2024.
The craze for anything foreign has not only sunk deep into the fabric of our national consciousness but eaten deep into the current NFF board. Football Stakeholders were happy when the board decided to hire Finidi George, a home based former National player and Coach for Nigeria. But Finidi was not given time as NFF did to foreign Coach Peseiro who lost all his friendly matches and drew two of the World Cup qualifiers.
The alleged paucity of funds in the NFF to engage a first class foreign Technical Adviser led us to ask the Federation why the craze for Foreign Technical Adviser when we have other qualified Nigerian Coaches who are doing well in and outside Nigeria. Some of these Technically sound Coaches include but not limited to SeyiOlofinjana, former Super Eagles player and Head of Talent Management and recruitment for Africa Region at Chelsea Football Club, England, Daniel Amokachi who has served several times as Assistant Coach to some foreign/Home based Coaches. Emmanuel Amuneke, renowned for his technical dept as a Coach.
Coach NdubuisiEgbo, former Nigerian Goaltender who won the Albania League for his team gaining a position to compete in the European Champions League. These Coaches and others would have come handy for the NFF but the rush to engage foreign coaches blurred its bearings.
Now, it seems the federation is in a dilemma as to the way forward. A Coach is supposed to have been engaged by now to check round the players that will be suitable to prosecute the 2025 AFCON and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers starting from August 2024. The NFF is walking a tightrope now by not having a Coach on ground with the barely few weeks to these qualifiers.
The NFF having jumped at the choice of the foreign Technical Adviser can eat the humble pie and decide on the best local Coach possible. The idea of the Federation turning around to hire the outgone Coach Peseiro testifies to the alleged paucity of funds bedevilling the body and the rash decision about hiring a foreign Technical Adviser.
Whichever decision the NFF takes on the Super Eagles Coaching crew will definitely affect the team’s performance. It’s better this issue is dealt with swiftly to allow whoever will be the Coach and the team ample time to prepare for the impending qualifiers and other matches.
DrSalau Dee Elf writes from Lagos at daudasalau2015@gmail.com