Why It Is Difficult For Local Coaches…

• To Succeed With The Super Eagles

The coaching position of the Super Eagles of Nigeria has been a major debate in Nigerian football over the years about several appointments that have been made without a positive return.

Since the late Stephen Keshi left his role in 2014, just a few months after winning the third Afcon Championship for Nigeria, with vastly home-based players, there has been no local coach that’s been able to earn maximum respect from the players, both foreign and home-based, since Adegboye Onigbinde, hence his nickname ‘The Big Boss’.

Some indigenous coaches like Christian Chukwu, Austin Eguavoen, and the late Amodu Shuaibu of blessed memory have had their share of the spoil with few recording appreciable success on Nigeria’s rugged football terrain, but the question here is why have all these established Nigerian internationals failed to record a success rate in the coaching of the Super Eagles?

The issue of finance has been one of the major factors that have eaten deep into the Nigerian football hemisphere. The payment of coaches’ salaries has been one of the issues the Nigerian Football Federation NFF has found difficult to deal with despite  the huge funds they realised, either from tournaments or sponsorships.

Former Super Eagles star Amokachi was billed to be one of Finidi’s assistants after the ex-Ajax winger’s ascension to permanent status as Nigeria’s national team manager and had reportedly been offered a contract to that effect in May.

However, during preparations for the Super Eagles World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and the Benin Republic, Amokachi failed to turn up for duty, suggesting that the 1996 Olympic champion does not intend to be part of the current Super Eagles coaching set-up.

Another member of Nigeria’s victorious dream team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Emmanuel Babayaro, has made an informed guess as to why Amokachi did not turn up for duty with the national team, slamming the contract conditions offered to his former teammate.

Speaking on his Facebook page, Babayaro said, “Amokachi was appointed Super Eagles assistant coach under these conditions –and his appearance in any Super Eagles engagement is on a needs basis and subject to the head coach’s discretions.

“How demeaning can these conditions be? Amokachi said yes to the appointment as the Super Eagles assistant coach but an emphatic no to the demeaning conditions attached thereto. And yes, the conditions were only just communicated recently,” he said.

According to Babayaro, whose brother Celestine starred in the Premier League with Chelsea, these demeaning conditions have driven Amokachi away from the Super Eagles, leaving Nigeria with one less coach on its technical staff.

Meanwhile, the indigenous coaches do not receive enough support that will instill confidence and purpose in their job and the NFF must be bold enough to share in the blame. On the Players-Coaches relationship, the NFF has not supported the Coaches evidently as players take advantage of these to get the better of the local coaches. If the NFF can support the Nigerian coaches, then the players become more cautious in their attitude in camp.

A few weeks ago, Napoli striker, Victor Osihmen went on Instagram live to accuse former Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George of saying that he feigned injury to allow him not to play at the last FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.

He said: “I’ve lost respect for that man now,” the African footballer of the year said. “I spoke with him (Finidi) requesting that I join the Super Eagles camp to be with my teammates. But he told me not to bother and that I should stay with my family – I have a video of the conversation.

“Everybody knows I play my heart out whether it is in clubside or national team. I won’t allow anybody to disrespect me. I won’t allow that nonsense. I won’t allow anyone to stain my name. I don’t care if what Finidi said is true or false. But I’ll share the video, picture, and screenshot of my conversation with Finidi on my [Instagram] story because some of you believe I would allow disrespect because I play football.

“After two bad games, everybody is blaming me,” the 25-year-old said, insisting he has always played with commitment for the Super Eagles.

If that’s not direct disrespect to the manager, to have even called him by his name, I wonder what that is a sports analyst said”.

It has been rumoured that the member of the NFF imposes that players of their choice on the coaches, especially the local coaches employed by them for reasons best known to them. This will automatically hinder the team because it should be of merit that some of the players in the team would be there for, rather than because they have someone backing them.

In 2018, Kadiri Ikhana, a well-decorated coach, expressed his misgivings concerning the micromanaging of coaches by Nigeria’s football governing body, especially for International competitions.

Ikhana, talking to the media, directed his words to the then President of the NFF Amaju Pinnick, and Chairman of the League Management Company, LMC Shehu Dikko, warning them to be careful not to impose player’s decisions on the coach of the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr.

The 2003 CAF Coach of the Year expressed his discontent with the way coaches are sometimes forced to make decisions under duress.

“If a player is not qualified to be in the World Cup it is not by force, allow the coach to do his job so that we will be able to shift blame to anywhere we want to shift it to…If we say because we have local players playing in the league and one or two is to follow I don’t think that is good for the coach and it is not good for the team and it is not good for Nigeria as well.,” he said.

Ikhana explained that choosing a player for a match, especially in major competitions should be solely dependent on the coach because the coach knows exactly what he wants and will pick a player that fits the needs accurately.

If this can be done to a foreign manager, what more can the local ones do when they are given a year or less contract?

Before the appointment of Finidi, some ex-players were against it, saying that the Football Federation wouldn’t back him when the results were bad.

Abbey George, former Super Eagles right back, said that the NFF may prioritize appointing a coach they can easily control, rather than one with a strong character capable of challenging their decisions and instilling discipline in the team.

George highlighted the qualities needed in a coach for the Super Eagles, emphasizing the importance of discipline and the ability to maximize the potential of the players.

However, he lamented that the NFF may not prioritize these qualities in their selection process.

“The kind of coach we need is a coach who will instill discipline into our team and also get the best out of the players we have at our disposal, but the problem is that the NFF will never go for that kind of coach who has the authority to deal with these players to get the best out of them,” he said.

George expressed skepticism that the NFF would select a coach with the necessary authority, instead opting for someone they can control.

He referenced the potential candidacy of Hervé Renard, a highly respected coach with an impressive track record, but doubted whether he would be compatible with the NFF’s management style.

“I think they will go for a caliber of coach that they can control and impose assistance like they’ve done previously,” George explained.

“So for me, it’s hard for me to say go for this guy, you know, the guy who’s the coach of the French female team.

“Everybody knows his pedigree, his experience with winning the AFCON and everything. He’s the type of character we need in our team, but I don’t think that one, we can afford him, and two, we’re not going to allow him to work freely to get the best out of the team,” the ex-Eagles said.

George’s comments underscore the importance of selecting a coach who can command respect, enforce discipline, and optimize the talents of the Super Eagles players.

On his part, former Super Eagles forward, Peter Odemwingie, backed George’s comments in issuing a subtle warning to the NFF, emphasising that hiring an Indigenous coach for the team could turn out to be counterproductive, stressing that the majority of Indigenous coaches are player’s agents.

In a report from media outlet OwnGoalNigeria, he said: “There is no local coach that can handle the big egos of the players so that he can earn their respect. The next coach must have full respect for the players because, without that, you cannot guarantee success” Odemwingie was quoted as saying in an interview.

Odemwingie backed his stand with a comment under a post of the comment on Instagram “You’re right my legend. They are also football agents looking for an avenue to push their players and interest,” he said.

By Benprince Ezeh

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