Former Nigeria coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, says the only way the interim coaching crew of the Super Eagles led by Austine Eguavoen can succeed is if they get sound administrative backing from the Nigeria Football Federation, Completesports.com reports
Onigbinde served on two different occasions – from 1983 to1984 and 2002, as interim coach Nigeria. He was first engaged to coach the Green Eagles in 1983 after Brazilian Otto Gloria was sacked following the team’s failure to qualify for the 1982 FIFA World Cup and also their inability to defend the AFCON title at the Libya 1982 edition. He led Eagles to win the Silver medal at AFCON 1984 in Cote d’Ivore. He also got another chance after Amodu Shaibu was fired in 2002 and he led the Super Eagles to the Japan/Korea 2002 FIFA World Cup where the team couldn’t progress beyond the group stage.
While fielding questions from Completesports.com concerning the sacking of Gernot Rohr and appointment of Austine Eguavoen as a stopgap coach, Onigbinde, 83, reiterates that the NFF knows better in their decision to fire and replace the German.
“The people directly in charge must have their reasons for taking such decision, but for delaying such decision for five years baffles me. However, the decision has been taken and one prays that the new set of technical handlers of the team would face their job squarely,” Onigbinde, a former CAF and FIFA Instructor, told Completesports.com.
Also Read: ‘You Turned My Young Football Career Around’ — Okoye Pays Classy Tribute To Rohr
“One thing Nigerians usually forget or which they want to ignore is that coaches handling a team cannot achieve success alone without sound support from the administrators and that is one thing I have suffered in the handling of the national team on the two occasions that I have been there. I just pray that the administrators will this time around back up their decision with sound support for the technical crew
Onigbinde, a Modaleke High Chief, added: “It is rather funny that a man had been with the national team without a stable side for five years. Five years is much. I don’t want to make it sound as if I am trying to play myself up, but in 1983, I had barely one year to prepare a team for Africa Cup of Nations finals, and we came second. I am not complaining, but I knew how we finished second instead of winning the cup.”
According to Onigbinde, what the Supper Eagles coaching crew need to perform well is sound support from the administrators (NFF) and the public since most technical crew members who were incidented to handle the team are still there.
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
19 Comments
The moment a sound individual speaks, sane minds are bound to listen. The take away in Chief Onigbinde speech is, he hopes the administrators-NFF will this time around back up their decision with sound support for the technical crew, SOUND SUPPORT. Clearly, the Super Eagles Head Coach, Eguavoen and co are ready to deliver but will the Amaju Pinnick led NFF ready to give them every necessary support to triumph in Afcon22. On our side as Nigerians, we shall continue to pray and encourage the SE since it is Nigeria first.
The way and manner Egu wore the green white cap, nice, you could see a no nonsense Head Coach ready to start if he hadn’t started. Me, I hope the FootballFederation will grant him all support because this is Nigeria o. Good luck to the SE Coach.
Everyday we continue to read about Eagles coach, Augustine Eguavoen, that’s okay but we also want our Coach to intimate us of his 2 weeks plan for our SE. God bless Nigeria!
Me myself was like, is he going to start sending IVs to the players, open camp or will there be any talks on friendlies with some big big footballing nations? Egu, we begi o.
Oh…..so a coach needs “all the necessary” support to succeed…? I never knew o….LMAOOooo
Day just dey break for some people.
@ James Okoduwa, there you have it. For me shaa, I don’t think we have time enough to negotiate friendlies with big footballing countries like Germany, Belgium, Brazil or Argentina. Time is really short @2weeks. What I think could happen is some kinds of warm up matches with local clubs, for eg, Kano Pillars of Kabi, Elkanemi of Bornu, Enyimba of Aba and may be Udoji united. I haven’t heard anything of Bendel United lately These clubs should be able to put our boys in good stead.
Mistake (Kano)
Algeria is playing Gambia and Ghana as warm friendly matches . You are talking of elkanemi
Ideally we shd play a North African as friendly
NFF ONIGBESE…..the enemy within!
The biggest problem of Nigerian football.
An incompetent, inept NFF is the original problem, THE SOURCE OF ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT PLAGUE OUR FOOTBALL.
Until this current NFF changes for the better, or is replaced with one that has integrity and competence, WAHALA UNLIMITED REMAINS THE STATUS QUO.
Now that Rohr is gone, the spotlight is now firmly on NFF ONIGBESE.
NIGERIANS ARE WATCHING!
The Chief is 100% on point. If ours is a country with good and capable administrators, SE Coach Egu should now by given a private jet to jet out of the country and pay visitations to our players around the globe. He needs to meet with them, share his philosophy and also let them know how we, Nigerians need them to rep us in Afcon, 2022. The only problem now is, the man really don’t have enough time. Let’s keep hope alive as we continue to render support for SE, it is well.
Eguavoen should begin by holding meetings with Yusuf, Kanu, Okocha and others. They have to move quickly whether with NFF support or not. Don’t forget you men have only two weeks. CSN, your fans also would like to hear from Kanu/Okocha.
Eguavon will succeed quote me. He has the maturity, discipline, tactics, charm and fecundity to succeed. The challenge we have is that we destroy our good ones!
I think I agree with you. He has been head of the NFF technical department. Eguavoen is experienced. He has been out there on the big stage before. What is left is for the NFF to do for once, what genuine football federations do. We need to leave mediocrity behind and do what successful countries do.
Am just laughing
I’m glad finally Rhor is gone forever and never to return to any of our national team , not even under 17 lol. Although it’s unfortunate it took so long to get rid of him because of our corrupt NFF politicians who are not worthy of running our football. I still repeat they’re the bane of the degenerating state of our football. They also have to follow Rhor to Germany and never to return. They ought to banished Pinnick and his cohorts from NFF glass house and Nigeria forever. They’re the worst NFF administrators ever to govern the affairs of our football.
Augstine Egyavoen will success,because I think he has been NFF technical director and he has a team on ground whitch he has been following and controlling ,so itbl easy to coach this team as he is an adviser for it. He will add a bit of local players in his roster; Eguavoen must put classic Super Eagles pattern of playing like:flexibility,pressing playing on midfield,speed football, playing with flying wingers who make high or ground crosses for forwards, playing total football depends on all players defend and attack with a drastic and rigid defensive playing on defensive midfield and on center defence and side backs; close rival’s key players, creat an attacking midfielers who can grant forwards easy passes to score goals.
Hahahahaha Hehehehehehe. CSN should interview Pastor Taribo West and get his opinion on Festus Onigbinde’s coaching methods. Hehehehehehe.
I pity Austin Eguavoen! He is going to be micro-managed by all these primitive people. He csnnot succeed as a result Onigbinde