A former chairman, Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Taiwo Ogunjobi, has blamed former coaches of the Super Eagles, Adegboye Onigbinde and Christian Chukwu for the appointment of Tom Saintfiet as Technical Director.

Ogunjobi said this while reacting to speculations that a reputable Nigerian coach would be Saintfiet’s assistant.

Belgium-born Saintfiet, 38, was offered the job by the NFA on March 19.

Ogunjobi told newsmen that they aided and abetted the process of Saintfiet’s appointment by not informing the Nigerian Coaches Association (NCA) of the vacancy.

He added that as members of the NFA technical committee, they ought to have alerted their colleagues to also apply for the job.

“It’s their fault, they should have taken the message to the NCA to let them be in the picture, but they did not.

“They did not do anything until the appointment of the Belgian.

“Now people are crying wolf. Were they not part of the committee that appointed Saintfiet? If he was not good they should have told us from the beginning,’’ he said.

Ogunjobi, who is also chairman of the Osun State Football Association (OFA), added that a Nigerian coach, who had a better understanding of the country’s football terrain and culture, was best suited for the job.

He described the technical department of the NFA, as the nerve centre of the country’s football, solely responsible for the intellectual growth of football.

“I am surprised and pained that a Nigerian coach, who should have a better understanding of our football culture, was not given the opportunity to apply for the job,’’ he said.

But Onigbinde, reacting to the allegation, dismissed the claim by Ogunjobi that he was at fault on the appointment of the Belgian as technical director.

He said that since the NFA already had in mind what it intended to do about the appointment, those who were not privy to it should be mindful of what they say on the issue.

“Am not interested in all this childish nonsense; what are we going to alert the coaching association about?’’ the two-time coach of the national team said.

“A position we already know what they intended to do, I don’t have time for such opinions that’s why Ogunjobi should be reserved in his comment’’.

Speaking further on the appointment of the Belgian, Onigbinde said that Saintfiet was not qualified for the job because of his age and experience.

The former Super Eagles coach added that he was privy to the Belgian’s pedigree and what led to his exit as coach of the Ethiopian national team.

“He is 38 years old, which automatically rules him out of the job. The job requires an experienced, knowledgeable and a high level of intelligence— which he couldn’t have acquired.

“I know what drove him out of Ethiopia because I have his data,’’ Onigbinde said.

The appointment of Saintfiet had attracted the criticism of Nigerians who described it as an affront on the country’s football.

In its defence, the NFA has claimed that no Nigerian coach applied for the job, which had been vacant since the removal of James Peters in 2010.