Former Super Eagles winger Emmanuel Amuneke has applied for the vacant Zambia national team, the Chipolopolo head coach job, Completesports.com reports.
Amuneke, who scored both goals in the Super Eagles 2-1 win against the Chipolopolo in the final of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations last managed the Taifa Stars of Tanzania.
The 48-year-old left the role by mutual consent following the Taifa Stars elimination from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt where they lost all their three group games.
The former Barcelona player guided Nigeria’s U-17 side, the Golden Eaglets to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup at Chile 2015.
The likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Francis Uzoho, Isaac Success and Taiwo Awoniyi were part of the team that conquered the rest of the world in the competition.
Amuneke also once had stints with defunct Julius Berger and Ocean Boys as well as Sudanese club, Al Khartoum SC.
By Adeboye Amosu
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COMMENTS
Having won the U-17 world cup, I would expect that Amuneke would be given some other responsibility to handle. Why is Amuneke not being considered for the CHAN team, or the Flying Eagles? Or he can understudy Rohr in the Super Eagles. Things that are simple become complicated when meritocracy is not followed.
@ Pompei.
The path Amunike is towing now is the ideal path for any young Nigerian coach….unless you want to remain a perpetual yesman to NFF eggheads who always see themselves as the alpha and omega, the maker and breaker.
Those hawks always want coaches to be subservient to them. They are masters at giving you a ladder to climb to success and then a poisoned chalice to bring you back to earth, just so than you can come back to beg them for daily bread and then use you to advance their pecuniary intents.
Once you begin to attain a status they see too big to be controlled, they set u up so you fall to your lowest ebb and beg for a chance to redeem yourself. These guys are like a mafioso.
But the desperation of most of our (often naive) local coaches always make them fall for this bait. They wilfully accept jobs without signed contracts and agreements on what and what will be the responsibility of who and who and would not cry out when terms of agreement are not being met or requisite support and resources to perform are not being made available…..neither will they be brave enough to throw in the towel and take a walk, all in the name of “patriotism and love of the nation” forgetting that it is their hard earned name and careers that will suffer in the end.
Look at the trajectory of the likes of Eguavoen, Siasia, Manu, and to some extent, Amunike and their involvement with the NFF…..its all a case of peak at the beginning, crash at the end…….Eguavoen had relative success with the SE in 2006, took a poisoned chalice in 2011 (U23s), Siasia relative success at U20 and U23, poisoned chalice 2c with the SE, Manu U17 and U20 success, crashed with U17…..all these guys had something in common, they were dealt with durin their 2nd coming.
Keshi also fell into their hands, after winning AFCON, he could have just stood by his decision to resign and move on to bigger things, he came back and saw the hell he was not shown in his 1st spell. It would have been easier for him to move on because of his previous antecedents outside the country, infact he was set to resume as Orlando Pirates of SA coach if not for his sudden and untimely death.
The NFF has always been known to hate coaches who have the clout to call their bluff. its glaring to see that they are finding it difficult to have their way with Rohr and Rohr has to be 3 times more careful with them as from 2020. They’ve already tried to unsettle his team and rock his boat of success after the last AFCON, but the man’s management skills have somehow kept the ship sailing.
That’s why I’ve always maintained Amuneke shouldn’t be rushed by fans to the SE job yet. Let him, like keshi test the waters abroad first, go make his name and gather enormous wealth of experience he will need to handle a cult like the NFF. His misadventure with the U20s in 2017 doesn’t put him at a position of advantage with the NFF at the moment. He should earn his badges outside the shores of Nigeria were he will be more respected and less pressured before he can start nursing that ambition of dinning with this NFF at the highest level….bcos dining with dem especially as a local coach is a bad as dinning with the devil. he will need a very long spoon of international clout and experience to do that successfully.
Amuneke is one local coach, especially from the class of 94 that I respect. He never stops challenging himself and never stops spreading his tentacles. He is not one to go begging NFF for jobs or wait for people to lobby on his behalf. From Julius berger to Ocean boys, to al Khartoum to Tanzania, you see someone who dares to be different.
I wish him well and hope he nicks the Zambian Job. Zambia really needs some redemption at d moment.
It is indeed unfortunate the havoc that our football administrators are wrecking on our football. Eguavoen’s case is one that I still find baffling. The guy did a really good job while he was at the helm. In 2005, he achieved something unique in African football – leading Nigeria to a 5-2 victory over Algeria……right there in Algeria. We all know how notoriously difficult it is to even get a draw in Algeria, because of the vociferous fans and of course, Algerian teams are usually pretty good. So going there is never a cake walk. It makes the result so remarkable, in my opinion. Makes no sense why he was not given more support. Anyway, I join you in wishing Amuneke the best in his future endeavors.
This is what happened whe you don’t value what you have. Same one even said Amunike to under study coach Rohr?
How? What does coach Rohr that Amunike doesn’t have?
May be man management?
You people keep saying he qualified Nigeria for both Afcon and world cup but what did he achiev other than third place. Keshi even made it out of the group in the world cup. God bless Nigeria!!!
Rorhr Phobia…..shebi u dy hallucinate about Rohr??? Lol
“.. Some even said Amunike should understudy Rohr..”
Omo9ja,should I go and copy all your many posts where you’ve been yelling for NFF to make Amunike Rohr’s assistant…?
You want to come here and change mouth again…? Very confused human being. Lol
The keshi you are praising today, were u not his sworn enemy back then on KON…? Consistently raining insults and abuses on him the say way you do to Rohr now…?? LMAO.
Im just glad that it’s that same mouth you used in calling keshi a useless, clueless gather and play coach you are using to praise him now. Lolz. It’s the same mouth you used to ask what Rohr has that Amunike doesn’t have you used in answering your questions by yourself.
In the words of late Gbenga Adeboye, the prayers of the just should always be..”Baba jeki awon ota mi a ma f’enu gbo’le niwaju mi…”
Lol@drey, yeah, I remember him and his gateher and play slogan against keshi on KON. Thank God u still remember, he belonged to the SIAOne clan then. Now, he’s now holding him (keshi) in high esteem. Lol… That guy is the most confused person I’ve ever seen on earth.
So sorry for my typing errors.
However, @drey, do you understand English language at all? Do you know the meaning of under study something?
Under study and assistant, are both the same? Chai, what is happening to this Drey these days?
you keep attacking people and if one of us pointing out coach Rohr’s weaknesses, you will attacks them like when our unprofessional police
Officers and soldiers were attacking Nigerians lol.
You said I hate Keshi and I insulted him a lot and I’m doing the same thing to coach Rohr. Hmm, interesting o.
I didn’t do such to Keshi likewise coach Rohr.
I loved both men a lot but if something is not going on well, it is you and I responsibilities to raise our voices and to let them known that they have to do more.
However, must you talk if you don’t have anything to say?
If you don’t stop this your childish attitude, I will keep ignoring you from now on.
It is an insult to Amunike to under study coach Rohr.
Coach Rohr qualified Nigeria to Afcon while coach Amunike qualified Tanzania to the same Afcon tournament.
Head to head, no cheating. 50/50
Coach Rohr took the best of the best of Nigerian players to the tournament and we weren’t even satisfied with what we saw in Egypt.
Amunike that didn’t have super star players in his team, we saw what his team did in that tournament. Although, they didn’t win a single match but with those amateur players and their fighting spirit and with the little time he spent with the team, he qualified the Tanzanian team to Afcon ah, coach Amunike wins it all.
If at all, he, Mr. Amunike can be coach Rohr’s assistant but not to under study him. That is ridiculous.
Coach Amunike is digitally, technically and tactically sound. He is the man to take Super Eagles to the next level.
I am praying that he gets the Zambia job. Zambia has good players and that is the perfect place for Amunike.
All in all, I love you Drey, I’m not so sorry that I didn’t put DR to your name because you have to behaved maturely from now on.
You have the qualities and you are very intelligent but you are not using your talent quite well. It’s so sad.
As a young man like you, you have to behaved yourself. I am sitting you down to lecture today, so that you can behave yourself. See me as your role model and I bet you, you will never regret it.
I love you so much Drey, please you have no choice, you have to changed for good.
As I was saying oje e lol, coach Amunike is going to rule the world. He has nothing to prove to anyone nomore.
Sooner or later, Nigerians will recognized his qualities.
He has it all.
Man management,
coaching skills,
visions,
intelligent,
tested and trusted
reliable and dependable
and very matured person.
What else are we looking for? Oh well, 9ja people doesn’t appreciate what they have though.
Happy Friday my people. God bless us all. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Hahahaha….why are you seeing simple countering your opinions with facts as an attack…? Why are you feeling endangered because someone is setting the records straight by simple dissolution of all your falacies with facts abd figures..??? Lolz
I don’t talk because I must say something, I talk because i have something to say. If its easy for you to attack Rohr, why is it difficult for you to also bear attacks too…? Oh, so e day pain you abi…? Serves you right. DO unto others what you want them to do to you. If you cant tolerate attacks, quit attacking others too. If you really what people to do more, critisize them constructively and not destructively, but I wish you will ever learn, No be today u don be serial ‘witch-hunter’ so i’m not bothered anymore. The measure a man gives is the measure he receives.
See you as my role model you say..?
Dont worry, anytime I need to tell lies, I will use your template, because its very obvious now that you have a special talent in telling white lies in broad day light, so maybe i might just adopt you as a role model in that regard.
“….You said I hate Keshi and I insulted him a lot and I’m doing the same thing to coach Rohr. Hmm, interesting o. I didn’t do such to Keshi likewise coach Rohr……”
Hahahaha…..Omo9ja….pls dont disgrace yourself by being a blatant lair, we’ve known you for a long time, you didnt do WHAT to keshi…??? Pls who coined the title ‘gather & play’ coach…??? Who coined the title Keshi united…??? And how many times have you repeatedly called Rohr incompetent, clueless, no pattern, no tactics etc here….??? I may not be able to access the defunct KON website anymore, but it takes just a click of a button to have access to all your previous libelous comments about these 2 men….so be careful when you come to tell your lies here.
Do you still remember these coments of yours…?
“….omo9ja 5 years ago
Thank God that I did not watch the match because I know that something like this would occurred. NFF made a big mistake to have Keshi. NFF must be fired including the entire coaching staffs. I have bn saying this all these while on Kickoffnigeria.com that if NFF continu to retained Keshi, he will fail woefully to delivered. How would have be if Kickoffnigeria is still running? Most especially, for Keshi United? Hopefully, Kickoffnigeria will be back soon. No excuse is granted from Eagles and their coaching crews. Our ex players should be given a chance to be our new NFF and a sound coach is the solution to the Eagles problem. Meanwhile, we don’t need a white coach. God bless Nigeria!…”
OR this
“…..omo9ja 5 years ago
Ahhhhhhhh , to God be the glory. however, thanks to Musa and the rest of the team. Therefore, this team can’t qualify us. I appreciate Keshi’s efforts, Chineke will bless him for me. Now, its time for a change if to say Nigeria really want to be. The best thing NFF can do for Nigerians now is to let go of Keshi because his team can’t beat Congo and South Africa but if they insist that Keshi must stay, we should all remember that God is not a Nigerian and we can’t keep praying for incompetent coach. However, NFF must get a sound coach for Eagles in this month if they know what their doing. Hmm, the truth is bitter, a word is enough for the wise. God bless Nigeria!…..”
Aahhhh….Feeling Nostalgic ehn…?? You’ve apprently been a hater for ages ehn….LMAO
Since I dont understand English, you can as well teach me some English…but pls not this your own brand that gives people ‘brain pain’…Lolz.
But a simple search on google shows that An assistant is just ‘a person who ranks below a senior person and helps in doing a particular work’ while an understudy is one who learns another’s role in order to be able to REPLACE at short notice in their absence…..pls underline the word Replace.
So you see, you clamour for amuneke to be an assistant is even more demeaning than being an understudy. It was same you who asked what rohr has that Amuneke has, and I’m glad its same you who answered your question by yourself..Lolz.
Meanwhile, all that excuse you have made above for Amuneke is what we call ‘whatabaoutry’. Nicolas Dupuis of Madagascar was in a similar boat as Amuneke and we all see even CAF and IFFHS acknowledges him. That’s the halmark of a coach who has come of age.
All these eulogy you wrote about Amuneke, the fact still remains he couldn’t beat Kenya at AFCON and only won 2 matches in all his time as Tanzania coach. Let Amuneke go and strengthen his competencies elsewhere 1st before coming to drink from the poisoned chalice called SE Head Coach, because it is poison-filled mouths like you that will still turn against him in the end.
Dr. Drey,
Thanks for explaining the difference between ASSISTANT and UNDERSTUDY to Omo komo. The man’s ignorance and obstinacy is something to behold. I don laugh tire. Look at him attacking someone who asked for Amuneke to be an UNDERSTUDY, while he recommends a role that is inferior, in his stark ignorance! Use of English is very important oooo. Please kids, pay attention in school and learn to use and understand English, so you don’t end up like you know who!
The articles you dug up showing Omo komo changing mouth faster than CR7 does stepovers is proof that the man’s wahala did not start recently. He’s been in a state of confused ignorance for ages. And when he sees that water don pass garri, he will change positions swiftly. That is why he is known as the CHAMELEON around here. A confusionist to his very core. If Omo komo is in a place where things are working well, he will fall sick. But if you scatter and throw things into disarray, he will be back in the best of health quickly! He thrives in confusion, loves to create problems out of nothing. Gives himself credit all the time when none is due.
Someone recently suggested that he has multiple personality disorder, and that the best thing we can do is ignore the guy entirely. A rational discussion with the dude is in the realm of impossibility, so let’s leave him to continue to wallow in ignorance and confusion.
I was shocked too when I saw his usual pick-up lines….
“…Thank God that I did not watch the match….”.
So Omo9ja has not been watching super eagles matches since 5 years ago, yet he will write a whole book chapter on how the SE played with no good pattern, no good display and no tactics, while the teams we dispatch with relative ease will be the ones Omo9ja will praise for playing good tactical football.
Even Lesotho that we won with consummate ease, class, fluidity and panache was better and more tactical in the eyes of Omo9ja.
“….Omo9ja 2 weeks ago
Name doesn’t play football. I told you we don’t have a coach. Why Akpeyi? When I’m talking you people should listen. Wherr are you alllllllll. Lesotho is playing good football while Nigeria are playing boring football.Too bad. Good luck Super Eagles. God bless Nigeria!!!…”
RIGHT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MATCH
“……Congratulations to our beloved team Super Eagles.People don’t understand me but sooner or later, you all will understand me much better. I said it all during this encounter with Lesotho match and the coach did all I said and we saw the result.
My point here is, the level of Lesotho in football is way below Nigeria level. I am talking about today’s match. The coach and his team did well after the result changed to 2-1.
I’m really impressed with Lesotho performance. Local coach with his local team and playing against Nigeria like that, wow. They were fearless. This is what Super Eagles should learn how to do when they play against big teams. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!……”
ONLY A FEW DAYS LATER
“….Mr. Rohr, please don’t even go there. It is very simple. You can’t give what you don’t have period.
I appreciate your efforts and I hope NFF will do you a favor to get you someone to help you. Also, Lesotho were playing as a team. They were tactically sound and fearless.For Lesotho to played like that against us kai, we deserves more than what we are getting….”
Pls Omo9ja, how do you manage to do it….?? Wow.
Achi couldnt help but say….
“…Achi 2 weeks ago
It’s baffling that people have not realised that Omo9ja has a Multipersonality Disorder:
Day one: Rohr is not a coach; no displayed; no tactical.
Day Two: I love Rohr. Make Amunike his assistant.
Day Three: Sack Rohr. Make Amunike the coach. Bring Jo as his assistant!
Seems as if his brain is being tormented by a thousand demons….”
Gajere even seemed far more pissed off….
“…..Gajere 2 weeks ago
Omo9ja, what a fool. Chameleonic in character. I think he may not even be a Nigerian. See how he was salivating when Nigeria went a goal down and then promptly changed his tune when the SE started scoring. A real buffoon of a man!…”
Bishop calmed things down a little…
“…..Bishop 2 weeks ago
You need to first convince yourself about what you stand for. I don’t seem to believe your intentions anymore. I read your comment some minutes into the match. You already wrote off the team. I have watched the game myself, just like the Benin game, the SE just played according to the strength of the opposition. You could see they could give more, and they won convincely. When last did we assert our superiority over lesser teams? The team is still evolving. Let’s give support, criticism without prejudice and hope for the best….”
Ndubuisi summed it all up with….
“…Ndubuisi 2 weeks ago
@Omo9ja you are a hypocrite one moment you are critisizing the team the next minute you are praising them. Fair weather supporter….”
But Elf just killed me completely with…
“…Elf 2 weeks ago
Omonija, drup dead. God will definitely make you dead soon….”
Lolz omo9ja, you are a living legend…LMAO…you deserve a statue right infront of Agege stadium…yes the same Agege where you claimed there are many players who are better than our Europe based professionals.
I really want a role model like you who can assess and analyse matches even when he never watched them. LMAO
Amuneke sure know his value, applying for national team jobs. Hopefully, his country will appreciate his true value soon – which some of us can see from afar and give him a major responsibility.
Why are NFF ‘super’ coaches not applying for national team jobs in even smaller African countries like the Gambia, Sierra Leone, CAR, Lesotho for higher pays and build from there? Guys like Imama, Aigbogun, Salisu and co (even Siasia). Why are you all stuck with NFF and counting on your friendship with Pinnick and other board members to hang on, despite a string of failures?
The Lesotho coach we played against last week was coached by the immediate past South African U20 coach. In the past, these countries go for white ‘carpenters’ (according to the late Keshi), but now they are realising the great potentials in fellow African coaches from powerhouses like Nigeria, Ghana etc.
Amuneke sure knows his value, applying for national team jobs. Hopefully, his country will appreciate his true value soon – which some of us can see from afar –and give him a major responsibility.
Why are NFF ‘super’ coaches not applying for national team jobs in even smaller African countries like the Gambia, Sierra Leone, CAR, Lesotho for higher pays and build from there? Guys like Imama, Aigbogun, Salisu and co (even Siasia). Why are you all stuck with NFF and counting on your friendship with Pinnick and other board members to hang on, despite a string of failures?
The Lesotho coach we played against last week was coached by the immediate past South African U20 coach. In the past, these countries go for white ‘carpenters’ (according to the late Keshi), but now they are realising the great potentials in fellow African coaches from powerhouses like Nigeria, Ghana etc.
“The former Barcelona player guided Nigeria’s U-17 side, the Golden Eaglets to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup at Chile 2015.
The likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Francis Uzoho, Isaac Success and Taiwo Awoniyi were part of the team that conquered the rest of the world in the competition.”
Point of correction Mr. Editor: Amuneke won the the cup in 2015 as head coach with Victor Osimhe’s set.
He was only an assistant coach when Kelechi Iheanacho and Co played and won the trophy in 2013