Sports
Africans Must Look Up To Local Coaches –Lagerback
Nigeria coach, Lars Lagerback has advised African countries to look the way of indigenous coaches and trust in continuity if they hope to do well at major tournaments.
All but one of Africa’s six representatives at the 2010 World Cup were coached by foreigners, with Algeria the only exception. And with three already eliminated, Lagerback suggested that Africans may need to look inwards in the future and give the coaches more time.
“What is the problem for Africa in general? The only thing I can see, and I am not sure if! Iam right is that maybe they need a little bit more continuity.
“I have talked to Kanu a little bit about that and maybe the players that have been around and played for a long time, I hope that they could come back into the African countries and work as coaches and help to influence the development of football in their countries.
“I think a person like Kanu could be perfect for that kind of position if he wants to go into coaching himself.”
“When it comes to reading the game, I dont think there is anybody who can read the game better than I can. But when things are going wrong, it is always from the top, and that is where we have to start from if we want to make a difference.
“Right now, 1 don’t know if! I want to go into coaching, but it is something I have to go back and think about.”
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.