Sports
‘Nigeria Must Go For Competent Coach For S’Eagles’
Former international, Peter Rufai, believes the only way for Nigeria to rediscover their lost glory is by appointing a competent coach to replace Augustine Eguavoen.
The 56-year-old Eguavoen left the role of handling Nigeria after failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
After holding Ghana 0-0 in the first meeting of the Africa play-offs in Kumasi, Nigeria failed to beat the Black Stars in the return leg as they settled for a 1-1 result in Abuja and thus lost the ticket on the away goals rules.
The 58-year-old Rufai, who managed 65 caps for Nigeria as a goalkeeper and also played for Spanish side Deportivo de La Coruna, has cautioned Nigerian Football Federation against rushing to fill the void left by Eguavoen.
“It is very sad that the Super Eagles will not be at the World Cup, however, we cannot dwell so much on it because there are other games or qualifiers ahead of the team,” Rufai told the media.
“This is the time the NFF must ensure they appoint a competent coach for the senior national team that is capable of restoring the glory days of Nigeria in football.
“The NFF doesn’t need to rush when it comes to this issue because it will be sad if we still make the same old mistake again.”
Rufai represented Nigeria at two Fifa World Cups, always as a starter: 1994 (Nigeria’s first-ever appearance, where he also acted as captain) and 1998, also helping the Super Eagles win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.
In a recent interview, NFF President Amaju Pinnick guaranteed Nigeria will name a foreign coach in the next 10 days.
“One thing I can guarantee you is we are getting a foreign coach, within the next seven to 10 days we’ll announce a foreign coach.”
With Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro being listed for the role after the exit of German coach Gernot Rohr, Pinnick could not confirm whether he was still in the race or not.
“It’s not impossible but would he want to come? If he would want to come then it will be a major plus for us because it shows that he loves the country.”
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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