Former Super Falcons coach, Godwin Izilein has accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of given preferential treatment to foreign coaches than the indigenous coaches.
Izilein, who stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the NFF are still owing him match bonuses and allowances amounting to N10 million.
He noted that the action of the football body could be intentional and urged them to always respect the indigenous coaches.
“Indigenous coaches have the capability to change the narratives of the national teams, and it is high time they are accorded their deserved respect like their foreign counterparts,” he said.
“It is regrettable that 17 years after leading the Super Falcons to Johannesburg in South Africa in 2004 to win the African Women Championship, the NFF is yet to pay to me match bonuses amounting to 28,750 dollars (about N10 million).
“It is as a result of this that I have forbidden the NFF from mourning me whenever I die. The only honour I want from the NFF is to pay me what it owns me, not when I am dead.I cannot recall any foreign coach who has so worked for the country as a handler of the national team who has been treated so shabbily.
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“I don’t know what my offence is, for them to have refused to pay me this money. I have written and personally met with heads of NFF at different times and yet, the story remains the same. The last I did, I met the present NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, in the presence of Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, where I again tabled the matter.
“Even though he (Pinnick) expressed shock that I was yet to be paid, but he promised to do something quickly about it. But as of now, two years after, the story is still the same. But I am only interested in my money, not any addition,” he said.
9 Comments
Sorry Pa Godwin, it’s a sad story.
Lol…. Owing them months salary and counting and forcing them to pay their crew from his own pocket and not forgetting paying him in naira to “strengthen the naira” na preferential treatment abi????? Are they not treating them same way taking into consideration the aforementioned???? U need to rehearse what to say before you face the media next time mr man. Don’t just come out and Yab nonsense bcs you had the opportunity. Preferential treatment indeed….hit the nail on the head that u want them to pay u instead of beating around the bush.
Bro you need deliverance, all you do on this forum is insult insult and insult to people that have achieved something for Nigeria. My Brother what have you achieved for your local government? I just dey sorry for una wey dey insult up and down for this page.
@Oakfield, CSN twist reports and interviews a lot just to suit their own traffic. I think the man is more focus on getting paid for the job done 17yrs ago. His statement is only a reference ” I did not remember any foreign coach that was treated shabbily” i.e being owe bonuses for 17yrs.
I don’t think he meant working terms and conditions.
CSN must be blamed for this twisted media release, sameway they twisted GR interviews the other day
Ewu nigeria.
It’s going to be like that forever until you indigenous coaches have dignity and respect for yourselves.
You can’t select your preferred team without NFF manipulating the list of the players.
Marnu Gerba for example. Lateef Omidiji was kicked out of his team internationally and claiming that the boy wasn’t good enough. His last under17 team was nothing to write home about.
However, that is Nigeria for us. We don’t like our things but we preferred Oyinbo life style to ours.
Oyinbo will never treat us like the way we are treating them. Never.
Until Nigeria/Africa leaders change the way they are treating their people. We have so many young talented people in Africa but selfishness and egotism are the problems we have to eradicate out of our continent.
Therefore, Oyinbo can never throw away their language for no reasons but only Nigerians/Africans that hate theirs.
We have good names such as Ola, Kola, Chiyere, chukwuma, Toffa, Babangida, Atiku, Nigerians won’t like that but they preferred bad names from Oyinbo, such as animal names, stone, wood and all kinds of names. Can you imagine that? Some Nigerians even proud of that.
And we are expecting NFF to treat our local coaches well?
“Even though he (Pinnick) expressed shock that I was yet to be paid, but he promised to do something quickly about it. But as of now, two years after, the story is still the same. But I am only interested in my money, not any addition,”
Very sad to hear that. NFF keep promising their employees but they refuse to pay for their dues. Why lying ba?
NFF believe that our local coaches are not good enough and since there’s poverty in Nigeria, NFF are taking the advantage of that to nails our indigenous coaches down.
They can not help the local coaches but they can send a foreign coach for a refresher course? Hmmm, black people, black characters.
Africans, it is never too late to change ourselves.
So, our local coaches should respect themselves so that NFF can treat them like foriegn coaches. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Pa Izilien, why don’t you drag them to FIFA or CAS to force them to pay? They can’t afford to ignore those ones. In fact, if they rule in your favour, Pinnick and his board will be running helter-skelter to pay – plus interest. That’s what those white coaches do when they leave. Take a leaf from them.
And it’s quite sad that even your own governor could not intervene even after you met him with Pinnick. Izillien remains one of the best coaches of the SF, handling one of the most talented crops of the Falcons – just like Westerhof to the 1994 SE set that we all look back at with nostalgia.
Can’t wait for Pinnick’s tenure to be done so he can be booted out with all these his second term harakiri. Just that they’ll still bring another airhead with their incredibly corrupt electoral system – just like the larger Nigerian society. You continue to owe people for their services and say you’re fighting corruption. You won’t do that to whites who will not blink an eye to report you to FIFA/CAS and drain your pockets of the last kobo. You do that to local coaches and some of them had to resort to bribery, which goes on to have ripple effects on the quality of players they field or give opportunities to.
Pa Izilien, you dont need all these hassles, go get a lawyer to put together a strong-worded petition and send it straight to FIFA together with your APPOITNEMENT LETTER and the THE CONTRACT you signed in black and white with NFF when you were appointed as national team coach. I tell you you will receive your unpaid emoluments of 17 years with interest accrued within 2 months.
The problem is that most of our local coaches out of SHEER DESPERATION to be national team coaches lobby for and take up jobs from the NFF without applying any inch of professionalism….the deceive themselves its patriotism…..its national duty. Ngwanu go and use the national duty and patriotism to pay your bills na. Most of them get appointed even without appointment letters…..not to even talk about signed contracts. I was shocked listening to Chairman Christian Chukwu online a few years ago narrating with glee how he coached the SE circa 2005 without seeing his appointment letter. I was so abashed. What…..?
Most of them get appointed on pages of newspapers, most of them get appointed by word of mouth, and they gladly and sheepishly accept the appointment…of course free visas, free travels, free kits and jerseys, opportunity to get brown envelopes from agents and market players beclouds their sense of reasoning and their foresight instantly. When you get appointments via word of mouth, you also get fired via word of mouth.
Why wont NFF give preferential treatment to foreign coaches. Of course foreign coaches sign binding contracts. Contracts that protect them from being mistreated……why do you think it has been so difficult for all the hawks eyeing Rohr’s job to have their way…? It simple…..the man was wise and professional enough to include a clause that will protect him from unfair dismissal….something late Amodu didnt have the wisdom to do even after being mistreated again and again.
Rohr can even afford to look his employers in the eyes and tell them “…hey Im not coaching your home-based eagles, you guys already said your local coaches will handle them…” and NO JUPITER can say JACK about it…not even the loquacious ALMIGHTY sports minister.
Nff should sack Rohr for no justifiable reasons like they were sacking Amodu those days and see if they wont cough out 2 years owed emoluments + $2m within 8 weeks…..LMAOoOoo. Make devil just enter their brain make dem try am first…..LMAOOooo. Just by having a powerful contract, Rohr has turned all of them….NFF, Sports Ministry, Errand-boy ex-internationals…all of them, he has turned them to toothless bingos…..LAMOooo….all walking around with tails between their legs. LMAOOooo
But local coaches get seconded by the NFF from one national team to another like errand boys, without commensurate remuneration for the man-hours put into coaching those other teams too and those ones too sheepishly obey claiming it is patriotism….rubbish….the height of unprofessionalism. And when they now get fired by word of mouth with backlog of owed emoluments, you start hearing all sorts of cries.
Where is the appointment letter and contract NFF signed with Amakpakabo…..? NONE.
Where is the appointment letter and contract NFF signed with Yobo…? NONE
Where is the appointment letter and contract NFF signed with Alloy Agu…? NONE I suppose.
Coach Adamu Ejo of the Super Sand Eagles died being owed years of upaid emoluments….Where is the appointment letter and contract he signed with the NFF. Was his lawyer present at the signing ceremony…..did his lawyers review the contents of the contract before he signed….???
But in 10 years time, watch our for these people going to press about being mistreated by the NFF.
The funny thing is that if this same Pa Izilien is approached tomorrow to come and handle the national team, he will still jump at the offer without due diligence and get bitten again and again.
So why wont foreign coaches get “preferential treatment”…? You are treated the way you carry yourself. You are addressed the way you dress. Local coaches should learn to dress themselves with the garb of professionalism….then they too will start earning respect. National team jobs may be juicy, but its better to look before leaping and arming yourself properly before drinking from a poisoned chalice.
…You are treated the way you carry yourself. You are addressed the way you dress….
Case closed….
No need for argument……
But the big question is; WHEN WILL NFF GET DELIVERED FROM THIS PLAQUE OF OWEING THEIR EMPLOYEE???
IS IT A CURSE, YOKE OR A COVENANT THAT OUR COACHES MUST BE OWED???
We’re too big for this nonsense….
It’s so shameful for a country like Nigeria to be a victim of this kind rubbish…