Former Africa Coach of the Year, Kadiri Ikhana has given the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) thumbs up on the appointment of Joseph Yobo into the technical crew of the Super Eagles as assistant coach, Completesports.com reports.
Reacting to the appointment, Ikhana, a former national team coach says Yobo is a very intelligent young man who will add value to the technical crew led by Gernot Rohr, adding that he also comes with a lot of experience
“I am in support of Yobo’s appointment as a member of the Super Eagles technical crew, provided he has trained as a coach and he is certified to practice. He is very experienced, having featured in three World Cups and six AFCON championships,” Ikhana who led Enyimba FC to win the CAF Champions league for Nigeria for the first time told Completesports.com on phone.
“Yobo will no doubt benefit from working under Rohr and will also impact his experience and defensive prowess on the Super Eagles team, having played under some of the best coaches in world football at both club sides and national team. I think he is a good addition to the national team.
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Ikhana added: “Imama Amakakpabo whom he replaces got his chances with the home based Super Eagles and the Under-23 and blew them, so I am not surprised that he was dropped. Coaching is all about performance. Yobo should learn fast and must endeavor to upgrade his coaching certificate if has one already.”
On the reliance on foreign based professionals to play for Super Eagles, Ikhana insists that it has to be so because Nigeria’s best footballers are based abroad.
“Nigerian players hardly hone their teeth at home before dashing abroad, so it is very difficult to pick players from our leagues. Even age grades players have also join the exodus to Europe and North Africa,” Ikhana explained.
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
9 Comments
Good decision by blackman .since 1994 .
This is coming my most respected homebased coach. I doff my hat for Khadiri Khana.
I am not surprised about Mr. Ikhana statement at all because if you understand the game of football then, we need to support Yobo and other ex players that capable of doing what foreign coaches failed to do.
I am still expecting NFF to hire more young
and talented experienced ex players to the crew. They have to, if indeed they are working for Nigeria because Nigerians deserves the best of the best to represent Nigeria any where our national teams represent us. It’s not about colour, it is all about what you can do to make things much more better. That is what I omo9ja cares about. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Ok. Ikahna now don sabi football bcs he supported the appointment
of yobo ? But when he voiced his support for rohr u went dumb like a donkey. Ur hypocrisy knows no bounds…
“….I am in support of Yobo’s appointment as a member of the Super Eagles technical crew, PROVIDED he has trained as a coach and he is certified to practice…”
I know you have problems with English so let me break it down for you.
Ikhana is actually not in support of hiring Yobo. E just doesn’t want to be seen as a “bad belle” as they call it in local parlance. He only tried to be political.
Ikhana’s approval of that appointment is conditional. what he has said above simply means if Yobo were to have been trained as a coach, and obtained his coaching badges, He (ikhana) would have supported the appointment. But Yobo has neither trained as a coach nor is he certified to practise….so in other words he doesn’t support it.
He’s just trying to be an elder statesman. Otherwise, deep down even one knows it’s a very wrong move.
Why Yobo….? Some people are saying he will go for training after now. But why did we leave others ex internationals, other ex captains, others who already have trained as coaches, others who have obtained licence and have even gathered years of experience for someone who has none of these…??
If only playing experience is what is required, why do seasoned world class players, serial league and champions League winners and even balon winners who played under the greatest coaches have to go back to school and LEARN coaching….??? Did yobo play as much football as the likes of Oliseh, Amunike, Amokachi who all had to go back to the class room after hanging their boots…? If all these people’s playing experience did not count, why is 100caps the only thing on Yobo’s CV that got him such a high profile job…?
It the position of Assistant Coach of Nigeria we are talking about here. Was the position advertised…? Who and who applied for the position…? Who and who was shortlisted for final interviews…? When was the interview conducted…?
Lastly is Yobo a even a coach…???
That means someday, a journalist can be employed as Coach of the SE simply because he has been covering football for 20yrs.
Oh, I reall pity Yobo. I hope all those who are pushing him now will be there for him when the chips are down.
Spot on, @drey
This is what Rohr have to say about Yobo as reported on Allnigeriasoccer.com
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has aimed a dig at his new assistant, Joseph Yobo by revealing that the former Everton defender has no coaching qualifications.
Out of the blue, the Nigeria Football Federation confirmed the appointment of the former Super Eagles captain on Wednesday to replace Imama Amapakabo, something Rohr admitted that he was aware of before it was made public.
Though Rohr played dumb over the axing of Amapakabo, the former Enugu Rangers coach is no longer in the good books of the Super Eagles faithful and the Nigerian Federation after the country’s failure to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games and African Nations Championship.
“The NFF has the right to pick one assistant coach for my staff, so they are the ones to communicate the reasons for the appointment, not myself. I was informed by Amaju Pinnick, in a telephone call, before it was made public,” Rohr told BBC journalist Osasu Obayiuwana.
“I don’t know why Amapakabo has been removed. I worked very well with him. He did a very good job with me.
“I regret his departure. But since the NFF have the right to take this decision, there is nothing that I can do about it.”
On Yobo’s appointment, the Franco-German did not mince his words : “I have the responsibility to develop coaches from Nigeria as agreed with NFF. I am more than happy to do that.
“Joseph Yobo is welcome to the team, of course. I have heard that he has no coaching diplomas, so I will talk to him, about this.
“If what I have heard is correct, I will tell Yobo that he needs to do the training required, to grow as a coach.”
Yobo’s first assignment as assistant coach of the Super Eagles will be against Sierra Leone in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier next month.
The press should be careful not to start brewing disaffection between yobo and his new boss Rohr
Honesty speaking fans deserve to know Yobos coaching credentials. We have Amunike who have both coaching certification and experience so why yobo