FORMER
international, Chief Segun Odegbami (MON) has thrown his weight behind
Sunday Oliseh’, saying he remains the best man to handle the Super
Eagles for now.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is expected to name a
substantive coach for the Eagles today, following the sack of Stephen
Keshi last Saturday for applying to coach Cote d’Ivoire while having a
subsisting contract with Nigeria.
Odegbami, while speaking on a local television programme on Thursday,
said he will be the first person to go in the streets if a foreigner is
brought back to tinker the Eagles at the expense of exceptionally
qualified Oliseh, who he said has what it takes to transform Nigerian
football.
“To start with, after Keshi, no Nigerian should be talking of a
foreign coach for the Eagles again. In fact, I will be the first to
protest openly if this happens. We have Nigerians who are qualified for
this job.
“The choice of Oliseh is fantastic because he is well qualified and
has the intellectual capacity to take our football beyond where we are.
Listen to his analyses, listen to his commentaries and you will know
that he has something which our past coaches didn’t have. I don’t think
Oliseh will beat Keshi’s record, but he has the technical savvy to lay a
solid foundation for football development in Nigeria,” said the 1980
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner.
Odegbami, however, faulted part of the terms of reference to be given to Oliseh.
“I understand he (Oliseh) is to organise seminars, clinics and so on,
that is why (Shaibu Amodu) is there as the technical director of the
NFF.
“Oliseh’s mandate should have been limited to the Eagles, how to look
for players who can play for Nigeria and deliver. So, he is supposed to
be rated by the performance of the Super Eagles alone. By this
arrangement, Amodu and Oliseh are bound to clash.
“Also, I don’t like the choice of having a foreign technical
assistant for Oliseh because we have many competent coaches who can work
with him. By the time the so-called foreign assistant will be named,
I’m sure he is not going to be a coach who is well known. He will not
possess the credentials Sam Okpodu even has.
“So, when you are talking about having a foreign coach, Okpodu is one
of the best coaches in the United States today. He is a trainer of
coaches in US. Look at (Mike) Emenalo too who works for Chelsea, we have
intellectually sound Nigerian coaches abroad who are qualified,” said
the Shooting Stars legend.
The former Director of the National Institute for Sports (NIS),
Lagos, maintained that the era of Oliseh will bring a new dawn in
Nigerian football.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is expected to name a substantive coach for the Eagles today, following the sack of Stephen Keshi last Saturday for applying to coach Cote d’Ivoire while having a subsisting contract with Nigeria.
Odegbami, while speaking on a local television programme on Thursday, said he will be the first person to go in the streets if a foreigner is brought back to tinker the Eagles at the expense of exceptionally qualified Oliseh, who he said has what it takes to transform Nigerian football.
“To start with, after Keshi, no Nigerian should be talking of a foreign coach for the Eagles again. In fact, I will be the first to protest openly if this happens. We have Nigerians who are qualified for this job.
“The choice of Oliseh is fantastic because he is well qualified and has the intellectual capacity to take our football beyond where we are. Listen to his analyses, listen to his commentaries and you will know that he has something which our past coaches didn’t have. I don’t think Oliseh will beat Keshi’s record, but he has the technical savvy to lay a solid foundation for football development in Nigeria,” said the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner.
Odegbami, however, faulted part of the terms of reference to be given to Oliseh.
“I understand he (Oliseh) is to organise seminars, clinics and so on, that is why (Shaibu Amodu) is there as the technical director of the NFF.
“Oliseh’s mandate should have been limited to the Eagles, how to look for players who can play for Nigeria and deliver. So, he is supposed to be rated by the performance of the Super Eagles alone. By this arrangement, Amodu and Oliseh are bound to clash.
“Also, I don’t like the choice of having a foreign technical assistant for Oliseh because we have many competent coaches who can work with him. By the time the so-called foreign assistant will be named, I’m sure he is not going to be a coach who is well known. He will not possess the credentials Sam Okpodu even has.
“So, when you are talking about having a foreign coach, Okpodu is one of the best coaches in the United States today. He is a trainer of coaches in US. Look at (Mike) Emenalo too who works for Chelsea, we have intellectually sound Nigerian coaches abroad who are qualified,” said the Shooting Stars legend.
The former Director of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Lagos, maintained that the era of Oliseh will bring a new dawn in Nigerian football.