Nigeria Orders NFF To Sack Amodu

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Sani Lulu Abdullahi has been given what amounts to a ‘Presidential directive’ to fire Super Eagles coach Shuaibu Amodu and replace him with a foreign coach.

Lulu and members of his NFF board met with the Presidential Task Force led by Governor Chibuike Amaechi last weekend, where Lulu, who has dug his heels in supporting Amodu, was told in clear terms that there was a direct order from the Vice Presidency to fire Amodu, especially after the performance against Benin.

Lulu resisted as usual, but was told that further intransigence would be construed as direct contravention of a presidential order.

At the end of the meeting, NFF management staff were set to work to review Amodu’s contract with a view to ensuring that the terms of termination are properly followed.

Another group was directed to look into the cost of hiring a new coach, and means of sourcing the financing.

No timeline has been set for the final disengagement, neither has a decision been made as to whether the coach will be part of any arrangement.

However, the NFF yesterday stated that Amodu is still the Head Coach of the Nigeria national football team, Super Eagles.

Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi said in Lubango: “We have heard several rumours going round concerning the sacking of Shuaibu Amodu. That is not correct. Amodu is still the Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

“It is true that there are two types of coaches: those who are being hired and those who are being fired. The Nigeria Football Federation hired Shuaibu Amodu to do a job and he has been doing it. He qualified us for the World Cup finals and he is presently at the Cup of Nations.

“The team may not be playing as well as people expect but it is a combination of factors and it is unfair to heap all the blame on the Head Coach. With the win over Benin Republic, the confidence is back and the players know that Nigeria expect victory over Mozambique. Everyone is working towards that.

“The rumours are not good at this moment when the team wishes to concentrate fully on the job at hand. We plead with Nigerians to exercise patience and retain faith in the team as we go ahead in the tournament,” said Ogunjobi.