Sports
Yes, Nigeria Needs A Foreign Coach
We are looking for
the best man for the job, not the best English man” – English FA chief, Martin Glein on the next Three Lions coach.
What else do I need to buttress my position than this quote? These are the inventors of the game but for the third time in recent times, they are not ruling out the possibility of a foreigner taking charge of the national team.
There is a proposal to have U21 coach Gareth Southgate on interim basis for about a year to supervise the World Cup qualifiers.
He could land the job on permanent basis afterwards, but the FA know his limitations and the odds against him. They have Claudio Ranieri and Arsene Wenger on their wishlist in the long term.
But here we are contesting the rationale behind NFF’s decision to hire a foreign coach. You could argue against the delay in hiring the foreign coach given the enormity of the assignment at hand; you could also contest the quality and qualification of the in-coming coach; but you can’t contest the fact that we need to look beyond these shores this time.
Nobody can comfortably argue in favour of an indigenous coach being at the helm of the national team during these World Cup qualifiers. We have stood behind them for eight years now.
Yes, beyond the four months Lars Lagerback was on the saddle in 2010, local coaches have been in charge since 2008. During this period, we have used six of them namely Shuaibu Amodu, Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia, Stephen Keshi, Sunday Oliseh and Salisu Yusuf. But where is our football today?
In six AFCONs during this period (if you include the already bungled AFCON 2017), we have missed four. We have not been to three of the last four and for the first time, we are missing AFCON back-to-back. So, from being the traditional bronze medalists at AFCON, we are no longer guaranteed a ticket which the likes of Cape Verde now secure with more ease.
This is where the confidence reposed on our indigenous coaches for the last eight years has placed us. So if you were the NFF president today, would you still go for an indigenous coach? What indices would you be relying on to take such a decision?
If you keep doing something the same way and it is not working wouldn’t you do it differently and see if it works. If you persist on that faulty formula, that is the definition of FOOLISHNESS.
Most of the countries bossing us on the continent today have foreign coaches. We keep sticking to what we have and keep retrogressing. At the risk of being lampooned by the indigenous coaches and their apologists (as if I hate them more), the truth must be told.
We have exhausted all we have here and nothing seems to be working. There is a new generation of coaches coming up like Emmanuel Amuneke, Imama Amapakabo and Kennedy Boboye. We have to wait for them to develop but before then, a foreigner should be on the saddle.
We need somebody who doesn’t know anybody here; that will not take recourse to any players agent. We need somebody to eschew sentiments; extend invitations and make selections on merit and bring us back to winning ways.
Yes, our football is at that point when we must get our playing personnel spot on to move on. May be I’m being so blunt; but the fact is that questionable selections, biased invitations fueled by ‘paddy paddy’ players’ agents have been the bane of our national team for the past eight years.
That is what has brought us to where we are today. That is what has brought this GIANT down to its knees. That is what has made this ELEPHANT a prey for ANTS.
At some point, England fell back on the likes Sven Goran Erickson and Fabio Capello. Now they have failed again with an indigenous coach and have not ruled out the possibility of hiring a foreign coach.
Perhaps, we will also argue that we have better indigenous coaches than England. Will we also contend that we have more established internationals than a country that has the likes of Alan Shearer, Rio Ferdinand and Garry Neville also eyeing the job. But they are simply being frank with themselves.
I’m more concerned with how soon this new foreign coach will be unveiled. The argument to allow a local coach execute the October World Cup qualifier doesn’t hold water. Our group opponents Algeria just signed on a Serbian coach. This announcement should not go beyond next week. Three months is ample time to prosecute a World Cup qualifier and get a result.
Of course, he will have the formality AFCON qualifier against Tanzania to get a good look at his boys in a competitive setting.
We also have to be concerned about the qualifications of the coach. We are not looking for a Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho, but we could get a decent enough coach. The fact is that the Guardiolas don’t come to Africa. Most of the coaches who come to this continent hone their stuff here. We may not get a Grade A coach but we can get a grade B or C+ but not a D. Once we sort out the timing and the quality of the coach, it’s okay.
Let’s do what we have not been doing for the past eight years – hand a foreign coach a long-term contract.
We will come back to our indigenous coaches, they are here with us. But we need a revolution.
Nwankpa Jnr is a sports analyst
Clement Nwankpa Jnr
The 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist spoke to Tidesports source her desire to defend her para singles title in the women’s category and to also secure a qualification berth for both the regional West Africa para table tennis event in Abeokuta in September and the continental championship billed to hold in Cairo, Egypt in November.
The multiple Paralympian said, “My expectation is to come out great at this wonderful tournament and to qualify for the forthcoming tournament that is coming up in Nigeria and Egypt in September and November. Last tournament, I won the singles. I won three golds at the last ValueJet tournament. And I want to believe and hope that I will maintain my position by coming in first position.”
Ugwueke had featured in the para event at the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championships, held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in January, where she suffered a stunning defeat to eventual finalist and tournament runner-up Taiye Oyinloye, who in turn was beaten 3-1 (11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9) by Commonwealth Games medallist, Kate Oputa, to become the women’s class 1-5 champion.
The ValueJet Lagos Para table tennis Open, which is in its seventh edition, is an event sanctioned by the governing body ITTF Africa and put together by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation in partnership with Lagos State Sports Commission.
The event will come to a close on July 11, with the competition serving as qualifiers for the country’s players for the regional tournament in Abeokuta.
A total of 98 athletes—57 men and 41 women—from Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Togo are competing in the singles events.
Notable performances have come from Alabi, Agunbiade, Ogunkunle, and Commonwealth Games medallists Kate Oputa and Faith Obazuaye, who have showcased their class against emerging talents across various classifications.
Their presence has intensified the battle for podium finishes, with top seeds asserting dominance in their respective singles events.
The AIU announced in the June 2025 sanctions list on July 1 that 21-year-old quarter-miler Uko was found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation committed on June 5 2024. Her infraction falls under whereabouts failures, having missed three tests within a 12-month period.
The AIU confirmed that her period of ineligibility will run until 23 July 2026 and all results recorded from the date of the infraction have been officially disqualified.
Uko rose to fame after clinching three gold medals at the 2021 World U-20 Championships in Nairobi, winning the women’s 400 metres, 4x400m relay, and the mixed 4x400m relay.
Stephen Eloji (June 2028)
Sprinter and hurdler Stephen Eloji tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-
The 25-year-old was active in the American collegiate circuit, recording strong performances in the 110m hurdles and relay events as recently as April 2024, including at the Pepsi Florida Relays and Music City Challenge.
Ada Princess Bright (September 2027)
Ada Princess Bright is serving a four-year ineligibility period after testing positive for Metenolone during the National Athletics Trials held on July 6 2023 in Benin City.
She had an active season prior to her suspension, competing in national meets in Lagos, Uyo, and Benin, and earning a relay gold at the African U20 Championships in Ndola, Zambia.
Grace Nwokocha (August 2025)
Nwokocha is serving a three-year ban after testing positive for SARMS substances including Ostarine and Ligandrol during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The fallout was significant, as Nigeria was stripped of its women’s 4x100m relay gold medal at the Games. Prior to her suspension, she had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, posted a personal best of 11.00s in the 100m, and reached the semi-finals in the 100m and 200m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. She is ineligible to compete until 2 August 2025.
Yinka Ajayi (January 2030)
Ajayi, a 400m specialist and one-time Olympic representative, is currently serving an extended eight-year ban for multiple anti-doping violations.
The first sanction, issued after she tested positive for Metenolone in an out-of-competition test in Iowa, USA, led to a four-year ban starting in December 2021. However, further findings of tampering led to an additional four-year penalty in 2024, extending her suspension until January 25 2030.
Glory Okon (January 2026)
Glory Okon is serving a four-year ban for testing positive for Metenolone following an out-of-competition test conducted on December 2 2021 in Nigeria.
She previously won gold in the 400 metres at the 2019 African U-20 Championships in Abidjan and featured prominently at the 2021 National Sports Festival in Benin City.
Blessing Okagbare (July 2031)
Once the face of Nigerian athletics, Okagbare is now serving a 10-year ban following multiple anti-doping rule violations. She tested positive for human growth hormone and EPO in an out-of-competition test in June 2021.
Her suspension came while competing at the Tokyo Olympics and was announced in February 2022. It was later extended by an additional year in June 2022 due to further breaches.
Divine Oduduru (February 2029)
Oduduru’s career was derailed by anti-doping violations linked to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On October 12 2023, a Disciplinary Tribunal of the AIU imposed a six-year ban on Oduduru after he was found guilty of possessing and attempting to use prohibited substances and methods. The case stemmed from the wider investigation into Eric Lira, the first individual convicted under the US Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, who supplied banned substances to athletes, including Okagbare, ahead of the Tokyo Games.
Oduduru’s ban is effective from February 9, 2023 and will run until February 8, 2029.
Henry Azike (Lifetime ban)
Azike is one of two Nigerian athletes currently serving a lifetime ban after testing positive for Metenolone, an anabolic steroid. His case was classified as a second ADRV, automatically triggering a lifetime suspension from the sport.
Azike last competed in 2011, including at the Doha Amir Cup and Nigerian Championships in Calabar.
Vivian Chukwuemeka (Lifetime ban)
Two-time Olympian and African shot put record holder Vivian Chukwuemeka is serving a lifetime ban for a second doping offence after testing positive for Stanozolol at the 2012 National Championships in Calabar.
The 2002 Commonwealth Games champion and multiple-time African gold medallist had previously served a two-year ban following a 2009 positive test. Her personal best of 18.43m remains the African record in women’s shot put.
Invited players into the Super Eagles B camp ahead of the rescheduled African Nations Championship tournament are feeling the pressure of selection, three days into their training camp at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.
The eighth CHAN tournament is taking place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda between August 2 to 20.
Ahead of the tournament, head coach Eric Chelle had invited an initial 35 players to camp and they began training on Monday with 21 players.
Five more players arrived on Tuesday to take the number to 26 while 28 players trained on Wednesday morning with the rest expected before the end of the week.
Captain of the team through the qualifiers, Junior Nduka, spoke about the intensity of the sessions and the jostle to make the final squad.
“Everybody is under pressure but definitely the coaches want the best among the 35 players,” Nduka said.
River United and former Flying Eagles forward, Aniekeme Okon, also admitted the pressure.
“It puts pressure on us, 35 players being invited, everybody is going to give out their best with an expectation of being selected. So we keep pushing.”
Ikorodu City defender, Leonard Ngenge also said, “Obviously, it puts everyone under pressure even myself. But I just need to do my best to be on the coaches’ radar.”
Nigeria, the 2018 runners-up, are in group D of the 19-team tournament, alongside Cup holders Senegal, Sudan and Congo.
The Super Eagles B will play their first two matches of the competition, against Senegal and Sudan, at the Amman Stadium on the island of Zanzibar, before taking on Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Nigeria has never won the tournament, having finished third at the 2014 edition in South Africa before losing the final against hosts Morocco four years later.