I am stirring the hornets nest again.
The present times actually demand such ‘madness’.
I can almost hear many Nigerians, particularly those that cannot shake off the idea of a White coach being superior to anything a Black coach can offer, scream loudly that Segun has started again o!
Yes, I have started again, but permit me to remind everyone the source of my authority to stir things up.
In 1994, shortly after the USA World Cup, I initiated a campaign in my newspaper column to stop the hiring of foreign coaches for Nigeria’s national teams, including the Super Eagles. I believed that with the 1994 World Cup experience, Nigeria had finally laid down a firm foundation upon which a new generation of Nigerian coaches can be built.
I stated at the time that, starting with the Keshi-generation of ex-internationals turning coaches, Nigeria should have no further business hiring unknown foreigners to handle the Super Eagles again.
One of those that saw what I saw, and shared my vision was Onochie Anibeze, the. sports editor of the Vanguard newspapers.
Between us, and without consulting each other, but thinking purely from our mutual appreciation of the breakthrough achieved by the large entry of Nigerian players into the professional ranks of European football at the time (facilitated by Westerhof), and with many of them going all the way to experience playing in the World Cup, Nigeria had a pool of players with the capacity to become very successful national team coaches.
We even listed a few that we felt had the best qualifications. We were absolutely spot on.
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From that list Stephen Keshi was identified as Clemens Westerhof’s natural successor even by the Dutch coach himself. ‘The Big Boss’ was a born leader. He carried this on to coaching after understudying Westerhof, getting licensed and climbing his way to become the most successful (Nigerian) coach ever.
Westerhof knew that when the chips are down a European will never love another man’s country enough to lay down his life. Meanwhile, such commitment is what is needed at the theatre of the most difficult competitions in football.
Onochie and I also identified in Samson Siasia, despite his Warri Boy attitude as a player, as having the streetwiseness and spirit, that can handle Nigerian players.
We were right. He secured the necessary qualifications and became the most celebrated coach by the international community in Nigeria’s history.
All of that was great until that generation became infected, as most of us are in the country in all spheres, by the compromiser ‘virus’ that turns good people to bad because, as John Mastoroudes derogatorily used to put it, ‘every Nigerian has a price’.
There were a few others too that I thought ought to go into coaching in order to build up the stock of qualified and experienced Nigerian players ready to step in and to take charge of Nigerian football at all levels – Daniel Amokachi, Ike Shorunmu, Emeka Ezeugo, Emmanuel Amuneke, Finidi George, Sunday Oliseh and so on.
Unfortunately, as they all did to achieve such a major paradigm shift was not going to be easy. To replace White coaches required the patience of a vulture that the fanatical Nigerian football fan did not have. So, as we speak, almost that entire generation of coaches are stuck in limbo, not fully embraced at home, and completely discriminated against overseas.
Administrators did not appreciate the consequences of halting the progression of developing Nigerian coaches by sticking with them through thick and thin, instead, they chose the easier route, and returned to our ‘vomit’ – the era of foreign coaches once again, back to slavery.
Europe will surely never take Nigerian coaches into the big clubs or national teams, even in a million years. But the worst aspect is the failure of Nigerian clubs and administrators to understand that initial ‘failures’ of their own coaches as useful lessons and tools along the journey to eventual success.
Indigenous coaches have remained in a vortex, going round and round in circles, not achieving anything.
Had Nigeria followed the trajectory of developing local coaches from our international pool of players after Stephen Keshi’s era, by now, no one will be engaged in the present debate about which coach should handle the Super Eagles for the 2022 World Cup, our next critical project. The cost of hiring one foreign coach can be spread across a whole planet of Nigerian coaches who could build a solid football environment and economy in the country.
So, it does not make sense to me, sentiments apart, to continue to tow the old, tested and failed route. If we must have a foreign coach it must be from amongst the best there is.
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If not, if the choice is to be a Nigerian, as some of us advocate, we must not expect a quick fix or a sprint situation. It must be a mini-marathon race, on a long, lonely but guided route.
Nigerians must make up their minds to sink or swim with Nigerian ex-international players-turned-coaches, whilst giving them every best training and opportunity in the world to get the experience and knowledge to take Nigerian football to the zenith! If we do not do that, we shall remain forever in the state of thinking we are never good enough!
So, on that premise, yes, Segun has come again o!
Nigeria now has a second chance and a second generation of retired players with the football experience, knowledge and correct psychology (because they are Nigerians and are familiar with our players’ habits and idiosyncrasies) to be able to handle the national teams of Nigeria.
That’s why, without closing the chapter on the Keshi-generation, Nigeria must start again to look at the second generation. They are even slightly more equipped than the Keshi-generation with their deeper grounding in European football.
That’s why also, If I were to be in charge of Nigerian football, I will spend the next two years preparing a new leader out of the next generation of Nigerian coaches that will effectively take over all the national teams of Nigeria.
We tried it with Samson Siasia and Stephen Keshi and Austin Eguavoen Ike Shorunmu, Daniel Amokachi, and so on, and it worked up to a point and for a while, until the Nigerian factor reared its ugly head and Nigerians lost their patience.
This time, we won’t let it happen. Through a deliberate process of training and exposure to the best practices and personnel in the world, we would create new Guardiolas, Zidanes, Klopps, Enriques, all relatively young, retired ex-footballers that joined coaching ranks without having to waste years in the ‘classrooms’ but molded on the fields, to become the greatest coaches in the world today.
Joseph Yobo
I have a person in mind. It is an informed position.
The excitement for me is that I do not even know if the great Nigerian football hero is interested in coaching, or if he has acquired a coaching license, or if he would even give up his present life for one of uncertainty and criticism that coaching attracts.
He will be making a great sacrifice if he takes up the offer. I will be prepared to sink or swim with him. He is very humble, a great leader of the national team players during his time, the player with the most caps for Nigeria in history, a mature, cool, well-read, very articulate and experienced ex-international football player, captain, very knowledgeable and probably the best football analyst I have seen of all Nigerian footballers.
Add to all the above, proper understudy of great coaches, the best professional training available anywhere, and a guarantee that the country will sink or swim with him, and I shall present to you, Joseph Yobo, the next coach of the Super Eagles in two years’ time!
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COMMENTS
Hmmm… Yobo…aya min ja o!
True-true, “Segun don come again”
Yobo was a great player for Nigeria but the idea that an ex player with no coaching experience should lead the national team of Nigeria is Ludacris!
I have always been one that respects Segun Odegbami. I think his passion for Nigeria has no bounds and he genuinely means well.He just doesn’t criticise,he lays out solution and sticks out his neck on his beliefs. He is a patriot. For that he has my respect.
That said, I think his emotion are too secluded in a place that seclusion isn’t necessary. He is lost to his emotions and as such as become paraniolly stuck in the “slave mentality”. He has thrown logic out of the window.
My dear Mathematical, meritocracy is what we should be singing, rather than selection based on race or “Nigerianess”.
For one, there is what they call personal ambition.
Every human being no matter creed or class has his or her personal ambition,being an ex player doesn’t take you away from such .
Not every ex player of the Super Eagles want to be coach. Not all want to coach the national team and certainly not all want to work in Nigeria or for Nigeria. You can’t just go force them in just because they are ex internationals and Nigerians,and you feel they should serve us in a coaching capacity. It is simply selfish and ilogical . What about their own ambitions?
Secondly, just because an ex international has played thr game in the highest capacity and the highest level doesn’t necessarily mean they would turn out good coaches or technical advisers. Playing is totally different from administration,management and coaching. There are different things entirely. Even if we train these ex internationals to the highest technical level and grade football can muster,it doesn’t mean it would translate to success. The idiom comes in,”you can pay for school but you can’t buy class”. If you don’t have it you don’t have it. And this corresponds to one’s personal ambition,if you don’t have the will, no matter your training,you would fail.
My take is simple, any ex international that feels he wants to be a coach should do well for himself to go ahead and attain the highest grade in such level. It is your own course and if the glory comes in,it is for you as well. Nobody is holding them back from going to different coaching schools worldwide to develop themselves. What’s stopping them from doing such like their white counterparts?
Must they all start coaching by coaching the national sides?
What happened to club football? Can’t they start by coaching a Nigerian club side or somewhere around Africa? After all, the Lampards,Gerard,Moreno ,Terry,Guardiola, Thiago,Nuno,Conceicao, etc. Are all ex internationals for their respective countries, but we see where they started coaching. Club sides!
It didn’t take their football federation or the government of their countries to push them before they push themselves.
For me,the Nigerian ex internationals ( and most African ex internationals) are simply lazy mentally and lack ambition. The few out there who knows their worth,are pushing their own ( Oliseh,Emenalo,Amunike etc.) And making success ,no matter how little. So if such could be in picture for national team duty due to their personal capacity cause they merit it.it has nothing to do with the fact they are Nigerians or ex internationals, but everything to do with the fact that they have the capacity based on merit.
As you said,if we are going to hire a white man,we should hire from the best. That I agree. But I would go further and rephrase the sentence; if we are going to hire, we should hire the best out there, no matter where they come from, as long as they suit our criteria and they merit such. Football and life in general,has gone beyond race ethnic and national stand. It is all about qualification,passion and will.
I quite agree with you @MrHush. Furthermore, ii believe that the position of national team coach should be reserved for the most qualified candidate I irrespective of skin colour.
It would amount to nepotism if that position is reserved only for ex Nigerian internationals.
I believe that all prospective Nigerian coaches should compete with others for coaching jobs starting from the local leagues rather than experiment with the national team as suggested by our dear Odegbami.
The hypothesis is simple to test. Start them with the lower teams; U23, CHAN, etc.to enable them gain experience. We can’t just hire a senior team coach because he is Nigerian. It must be because they are competent.
Eish…Mr Hush…you have just scattered may brain this weekend. I’m going to drink a bottle of beer on your behalf for this piece.
This is what I have been yelling on this platform all this while. I am so shocked that uncle Sege admitted to “the compromising virus” that often eats up our local coaches once they are beginning to feel comfortable. I would love to ask Mr mathematical once simple question anything I get to meet him face to face…and that question is “uncle, anytime you board an aircraft, do you by any chance ask of the nationality or race of the pilot before doing so..?” Lolz. I bet Mr Segun has never done that before.
This fixation on going local rather than going for merit and ability has dragged is down from enviable heights twice since after 94….first was between 2002 – 2008 and then from 2010 – 2016. On both occasions we had to run back to Europe to look for a whitey to clear up the mess. We became worse of in the latter era when we ranked lowest ever in our history and only managed 1 AFCON appearance in 4 attempts as is we are Malawi or Djibouti.
Being an exinternational is not a visa to coaching the national team. Being a member of the 94 squad isn’t a caveat to run our football. Adepoju was with 3SC, Oparaku is at heartland, Garba lawal at Kada Stars, Patrick Pascal at Wikki, Tijani Babangida at Taraba FC, Ikpeba and Okocha have been Detla FA bosses, our yeye NFF technical committee of clulessness and unprofessionalism has 5 of the 94 squad in it. Pls what value have all these people added to the game at the home front..? Even Uncle Sege that is talking was once a manager of Gateway FC, pls let him tell us what value (sustainable or not) he added to the club that
Management and administration are completely different ball games from going to the training ground in the morning, playing footy on matchdays and going clubbing after the final whistle. That you are an ex footballer doesn’t in anyway qualify you to be a manager or hold an administrative position.
Those who want to go into coaching,how have they equipped themselves for coaching, especially at the highest level…? You can’t sit down somewhere in Europe, coaching U17 boys and be expecting a phone call to become super eagles coach just like that, because you are an exinternational or because you were part of the 94 squad. Who starts climbing a ladder from the top..? If clubsides in Europe will not give them jobs, have clubsides in Nigeria or Africa also resolved not to give them jobs…? You can’t sit down in your home and expect them to give to jobs,if you don’t position yourself in a state where you will qualify for one, you won’t get one. It’s that simple. If you like play in 10 WCs as an exinternational. Ask Emenalo how he rose to the top at Chelsea. Ask Oliseh wat he did to be handed the Fortuna job. There’s this other Nigerian coach at Feynoord in Holland too (can’t remember his name at the moment) Maureen Madu and Perpetua Nkwocha are head coaches in Norway and Sweden too. Whoever is claiming European teams won’t give him a job is just being lazy.
Our exinternationals, especially that pompous 94 set should get busy first, get the right qualifications, go and intern somewhere afterwards (just as the likes of lampard, Viera, Gerrard, Gattuso, Oliver Khan now has a master’s in business administration and is already an understudy on the Bayern board in preparation for a take over in 2021/2022 etc) have done or are doing. There are 20 clubs in the NPFL…get one and start something and possibly win something. Participate in interviews for nation team coaching jobs and defeat contenders (and stop expecting automatic employment bcos you were ex-captain or exinternational), offer yourself as management intern at NFF or NPFL or top clubs like Enyimba or Kano Pillars and learn the dirty politics, management and administration of sports in the Nigerian clime. When your are offered employment, negotiate and sign binding contracts not these word of mouth appointments our local coaches are usually contented with just in a big to be called a national team coach. If your employer’s don’t respect you enough to negotiate and sign a binding contract with you before giving you a job, them will not respect you while on the job. The reason Pinnick cannot sack Rohr even when it’s clear he wishes to do so is because Rohr has a binding contract with the NFF that will afford him a $1m payout and continued payment of his salaries till he gets another job. That’s how professionals operate.
Whoever wants to coach the Super eagles should be vastly experienced, qualified, busy and professional. White or black. I don’t care even if it’s is Florent Ibengue of TP mazembe in DRC or Pitso Mosimane of Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa or Joseph Yobo of Rivers United or Emmanuel Amuneke of Enugu Rangers.
Being an exinternational is not a ticket to SE bench or the glass house. Otherwise you will be rushed out the same way you were rushed in.
What a wonderful response.. In Nigeria we are used to giving positions to those not qualified becos of the name they bear or due to place of origin.. Odegami didn’t even make mention of the training and understudy work yobo needs to do to become a coach, yet he has given him just 2 years to handle super eagles, the higher Level of our team, not even u17. Go abroad where things are done properly, a certain John Terry with all his years as Chelsea captain, is doing years of training as assist Aston Villa coach, yet when he becomes an head coach they won’t see where he started from.. Plz yobo don’t let anyone push you into disgracing your name and your future,, get the necessary education and training if you want to be a coach. If you don’t want that, remain with your football analysis, it’s becoming another area of interest in football.
Lol@Dr Drey
Lifting up my glass right here..
You have spoken well and have asked thorough questions;
One Odegbami fail to reason before going into deep end with his abrupt suggestions.
A truth we always shy from is the fact that most of these ex players, ex senator,ex governor, ex government, ex anything in Nigeria feel entitled and they should always be served in the platter, whether they merit it or not. They feel being ex is enough and by that the country owes them,even if they don’t have qualifications for the proposed job.
They hold the country to ransom this way.
This is totally wrong.
Everything should be on merit.
Especially a top job like the Super Eagles or any of the national team job for that matter.
For me,qualifications above anything else.
I agree with you. Your points were well marshalled and articulately presented. Kudos to Mr Hush!
Appreciation @Gajere
Bia odegbami I will advice you to respect urself this year
You suggest well but let’s since we have pool of players test Joseph Yobo with under 17 or under 23 first as you recommended to know his ability in coaching job
No doubt, Yobo ticks the attidunal and responsibility boxes of a successful coach. However, I would suggest he upgrades his coaching knowledge and go through the practical aspect by coaching a youth side or understudy a world class coach for few years.
Bros Odegbami. We respect you o….but you said it all. ‘You don come again.’ Just emotions. No points. Stop this White man..black man thing. Let us go with competence at every given time. 2022 and qualifiers are by the corner. There are many ways to fail and you are starting it all by this distraction.
Odegbami wants Nigeria football to be handled the way Buhari is handling Nigeria. Good job.
Aswear
Yaaaaaawwwwnnss!!! The evil spirit that usually torments him is at it again. I thought it left u in 2019??? Very pitiful. The thought of recommending an individual with no coaching experience to handle the super eagles is pure madness. How on earth can someone who claims to have played football at it’s very highest level nurse such a thought? This shows the height of your stupidity and wickedness. Even oliseh with all his experience as a player and a coach ran away from the job and you’re here making a fool of yourself. On seeing that the options (aigbogun, salisu, siasia(FIFA ban) amamakabo(mediocre master))whom u were lobbying woefully fell short of expectations u suddenly shifted to a rookie with no coaching experience. What madness?? Na dis level e don reach??? Rohrs record speaks for itself, so go hug a wet transformer. Para venture he leaves, no need to recommend a rookie, take up the job as an ex international and finish up the biz. Nonsense!!
Shit full your plate. Please leave the living legend alone.
Hahaha lolx that odegbamumu is really a mumu, enemy of progress like him,am sure he is direct uncle to idiot bobrisky
On this forum Oakfield and Drey are two guys with no morals by the way they disrespect people from any distance. It’s too bad I am shock how you insult a veteran for his opinion no wonder you and Drey does same to anyone at any given time. Una two sha!
So it is you that has morals. You that come here to lie to us that you are close to top managers in Europe…you that come here to prophesy that I will die….you that come here to rain curses on our national team players. It is you who has morals…LMAO.
Pls don’t let me go and copy/paste your true colours here for the world to see.
Honestly speaking you both think you’re good at insults but everyone can actually insult just that self control and discipline is the main reason people don’t respond to every weak actions yours. Insulting an Ex footballer even if you don’t buy his ideas makes no sense because you have crossed your boundaries and line if it were other reputable websites you’ll be banned but here’s a lawless country.
Just go and sit down my friend
Dis guy will definitely push Moses Simon to the bench or even Samuel Kalu, the pace of dis guy is electrifying, he goes pass players like a ghost,and he also has eyes for goals which most of our wingers lack, Galatasaray just made a signing of the decade, this guy will be a big hit in the Super Eagles and also Galatasaray. Pls help me welcome Jesse sekidika, this guy is a baller…
JESSE TAMUNOBARABOYE SEKIDIKA…………me I like am oooo!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44OAoPpKOEE
I’ve been watching youtube highlights of this guy, Jesse Sekidika. This boy na faya! I’ll go out on a limb and declare this guy as the real McCoy. A balling sensation. Could he be the next Odegbami?
Perhaps, perhaps not. Comparing him to a living legend is maybe a bit too early. But the guy is definitely worth a look. That was how Finidi started in 1991. People were like, who is that small Port Harcourt boy galloping down the right wing? Jesse was also born in Port Harcourt. Perhaps lightning can strike a second time.
Shit full your plate. Please leave the living legend alone.
Odegbami must be on something, most likely meeting up with Diego maradona. Pass pass give just full that article. Will always respect your football skills back in the days but oldage has come definitely.
Uncle shege I have always respected you since I started following your write up especially your predictions but this time I disagree with you. It seems you have personal issues with Mr Rohr. Am expecting you to commend him for the wonderful work he has done and still doing. You are bent on discrediting him and this is unacceptable. Yobo may in future handle super eagles if he proves his mettle by coaching a club side or junior teams and proving himself. We don’t want another oliseh. Meanwhile the position of a head coach is not vacant yet but if NFF frustrate Mr Rohr to resign I will recommend you to take up the coaching job let’s see your results. Please sir with due respect give honor to whom deserve it and at least for now Mr Rohr deserve it. Please stop distracting him.
I support odegbami partially, we need a quality coach, we are tired of 2nd round exit each world cup we qualify from the group, small countries like Ghana and Senegal have all reach the quarter final and we always claimed to be the giant of Africa. Oga Rohr need serious help, I don’t think he has what it takes to give us what we wanted, though he has done very well but… there’s still but. I may not agree with him on his choice on yobo though.
Hahahahaha….. “if we ar going for a foreign coach it shul be the BEST”……
Dear mr. ODEGBAMI and fellow brain-wash fans,,,,,, ROHR is collecting £55k evry month and u pple ar crying river,,,,, by de time best coach demands £80k or £90k monthly u pple will cry blood….
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sometimes i wonder if some pple uses their brain or their anus in thinking and reasoning…..
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in 2002; Amodu took us to korea/japan just to collect 1point and 1goal….( i dont want to mention de afcon semi f. We lost to senegal)…..
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in 2006 WC Qual., C. Chukwu can not beat minos like ANGOLA…. I dont want to mention the 2004 afcon semi f. Lost to Tunisia….
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EGUAVEON afcon squad was shaky in 2006 hence beaten by ivory coast on de demi f….
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2008 & 2010 was a disaster…..
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2012; SIASIA cannot beat Equat. Guinea hence we miss de afcon….
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in 2015; In a grup that has CONGO, S. AFRICA we cannot finish 2nd…. Not 1st oo; i mean just 2nd…..
We missed de afcon,,,,
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in 2016; oliseh ran away when he saw de heat coming….. Siasia cannot beat egyt hence we missed 2017 afcon….
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apart from KESHI who else????…
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u come here and be telling us of 1994 as if any of de names u mentioned had any coaching success then…..
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u can only brainwash those weak and gulible ones not the sport inclind ones…..
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I think odegbami is just talking shit enemy of progress. Is one of the calibre of people that brings distraction to the development of nigeria football. Present super eagles are doing great with the help of gernot. Odegbami should go and sit somewhere.
But wait ooo,,,, is it only de national team our ex can coach?……
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we hav over 50 clubs in nigeria; cant they start from there…..
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is like u pple want to ship in ur below average players into super eagles…… Under Rohr, road close……
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super eagles is no longer a place for advertising ur below average boys…..
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take them to norwagian or maltese or lituanian lig let them go and start there…..
Segun Odegbami please go away..
We are all entitled to our opinions. Uncle Segun as well. I do not agree with him, but insulting him is not acceptable. He is a Nigeria football legend. And much older than most of us here. Respect of elders is a basic aspect of Nigerian culture. Let’s be guided.
I am a staunch supporter of Gernot Rohr. His skin color has nothing to do with it. I couldn’t care less if he was green or blue. It’s all about his results. In a less than ideal work environment, he has performed admirably well. We’ve gone from being NO-HOPERS to CONTENDERS in his tenure. From failing to qualify for 2 consecutive Afcons to a team that the likes of Brazil want to play friendlies with.
At the moment, the man to lead us to the 2022 world cup in Qatar is Gernot Rohr. We risk derailing all the good work done so far if we replace him now. If we are ready to SINK OR SWIM with Rohr, I believe he can win the next Afcon, and take us to the semi finals in Qatar. I believe he has what it takes.
I agree with the idea that our ex internationals who are willing should be entrusted with our national teams in the future. But there should be a PROCESS. Aspiring coaches should qualify for the job, not have it dropped on their laps. If he is interested, Yobo would make for a fine coach. But there are a few others like him who are ex internationals and who can also do the job. It is the job of the NFF technical committee to identify and encourage these ones. The end game is that we should have a pool of Nigerian coaches we can select from to handle our national teams in the near future (after Rohr eventually departs).
I respect your suggestion and I will compliment with with my opinion.Let Gernot Rohr Coach Super Eagles till World Cup 2022 and make it known to him that his contract will not be renew even if he win the World Cup. The reason being that, the federation NFF want to give room for indigenous coach (that NFF is given him room to write his name in the good book of the federation and in the heart of football loving Nigerians and Africans at large)I will want NFF to work to free Samson SIASIA of FIFA rope enrol him and Joseph Yobo on further Grade A course and prepare them for life after 2022 world cup. Every expenses incurred by the federation is a form of investment on local coach in the long run that if foreign coaches earns $50,000 on a monthly basis because of NFF Investment on the local coach through training and development will be paid $20,000 respectively to Samson SIASIA and Joseph YOBO which I know they will gladly accept knowing fully well that NFF have invested on them.
The only issue with Nigerian coach is;
1. Tribal selection
2. P. R. O Settlement to the coach from players and agents
3. Inability to convince foreign born players
4. Issues with foreign clubs
I believe SIASIA and YOBO should be experienced enough to wither this issue compared to when Emmanuel AMUNEKE wearing red cap up and down the field when given opportunity to coach underage Nigerian team and also selecting one region of the country.
Did you say he selected from one reason… This is the problem with Nigerian. You failed to look at his results rather your focus was who he selected, where they came from.. He amuneke was like you, a certain oshimen and Sam Chuks would have still be playing local village football when they were arguably talented to make it in the higher level.. When last did an u 17 coach produce a player scoring above 15 goals per season,, even your manu garba never produced a striker that scores loads of goals per season, the best he gave us was iheancho who isn’t consistent every season..
While i respect mathematical odegbami for his accomplishments as a great footballer and sport administrator i don’t support his views that we should engage our former players to coach the super eagles. We dont need oliseh,yobo,equavon,aminuke or siasia as our coach. The current coach is competent and has instilled discipline in the team. Team selection is now based on merit.we dont need coachee that will spend thier time in the national team fighting nff and instigating players against nff. Yobo and okocha if they are ready to pursue coaching career may coach super eagles in future. The ideal platform for such players is for them to start their coaching career in football teams in the top tier of European leagues such as English, belgian ,italian,Spanish and Dutch leagues even as assistant managers.
Please please if you want to comment go on comment dont compare Odegbami idea with Buhari fulani way of ruling, show respect to the mathematician he has done alot for Nigeria ask your fathers and grandfather, if not huruhuru for NFF he should be the president if Nigeria football.
Great write up sir. But the only problem is nigerians are blind, and there vision distorted. With tribal issues here and there, don’t see any NFF administrator taking your view (be it Ibo, hausa, Yoruba). Until all this tribal nonsense in that country is put to rest, am sorry we will continue to sink. Those disagreeing with Mr odegbami, can you ask yourselves how is it that the European coaches succeed, both ex players and non-players. They get support from there respective FA. Are the NFF ready to give such support without being biased. We ready to waste money on second hand coaches. If we want to be reckoned with go for the best. How many European countries have foreign coaches, even the ones that do, hire fellow Europeans.
just like someone pointed out, we can’t force our ex players into coaching. It is optional. And why not i see them also succeeding with the national team. The like of Keshi, Siasia and Oliseh did it, but for the bad attitude of the NFF, they were rubbished. There is nothing wrong in the NFF spending to develop this coaches, spend money on coaches who can improve our soccer.
Having lived in a society where success is imbibed into the citizenry irrespective of their colors, the major problem of what i have seen about nigeria is our greed, envy and lack of proper planning. We sometimes acted like a curse nation. Doing the same foolish and dumb thing over the years, which is hire and fire of coaches.From the blues, we wanted to be the best without working for it. No countries has ever won the world cup without a minimum of six years od proper planing. Rohr might not be the best in the world, but certainly our SE has improve from where it was before his appointment and it can only get better. All due respect to Mr odegbami, he is human and he’s entitle to his own opinion. Afterwards he said long time in one of his TV show back then, that Nigeria will win the 2010 world cup. Well we all knew the outcome. The reality is that even among us today some people want the eagles to fail so that they can come out and say afterward I have told you the coach is not good enough. Forgetting that, it takes two to tangle. For us to succeed, the fa, the coach,the players and the supporters must lay down their selfish motive and work together for the good of the nation. We cannot continue to tolerate a mediocre or halved baked coaches all because they are Nigerians. We must have a standard. Let the so called ex international, take up coaching job, in neighboring African countries or Europe first. Then we can now take it up from there. Haba we are too civilized for this! Just giving out jobs to people who are not good enough or fully ready…smh
What an intelligent expression. Just hoping Segun Odegbami n crew will read this and get the point. God bless @ Mercy. It feels with pleasure to read reports with touch of intelligence while it gets tiring when you write to enlighten but yet people continue in ludicrous reasoning.
Thank you so much Mr. Segun Odegbami.
In my own points of view, for us to have a footballing culture like we used to back then in 80s,90s and in Afcon 2000.
No1, the current NFF must be dismantled
for the sake of our football. That means, from now on, no more ex politicians and business men in charge of our sports.
What did they bring into the Nigeria sports? Polution, calamities, fraudulent activities, dictators and oppressors. We can see that EFCC are chasing them around till this moment.
Point no2, our explayers deserves to be our new NFF.
Now, the process of hiring young and talented Nigerian coaches begins and the processing and screening should be on merit.
What are the criterias of the coaches that have to be considered for the Super Eagles position?
* No corruption allegation
* Man management
* A coach like a father to the players
* The coach that will invite players to camp base on the current form of the players.
* Nigeria need a manager that have passions for football.
* Super Eagles needed a coach that would installed unity into the team.
* The new indegouns coach should be open to us as the fans of the
team and should have an account on social media, so that Nigerians can recommend players for him free of charge
Nonetheless, the new NFF must bring the home of the Super Eagles back to Lagos if they are to excel in that regard. Moving the venue of the team from one state to another would result in failure.
Last but not least, can we achieve what I have mentioned above? Absolutely yes.
As Mr. Odegbami said, Yobo is a leader. Having Yobo and Amunike together with Kanu= success and quick results.
*In my own opinion,
*Amunike head coach
*Kanu assist
Yobo second assist coach (to under study them)
* Goalkeeper trainers: Peter Rufai and Ike Shorumu.
We should all remember this from Mr. Odegbami, before we talk.
“Europe will surely never take Nigerian coaches into the big clubs or national teams, even in a million years. But the worst aspect is the failure of Nigerian clubs and administrators to understand that initial ‘failures’ of their own coaches as useful lessons and tools along the journey to eventual success”.
Thank God we are already in 2020 and if we make the move now before the next world cup and Afcon, Nigeria will shake the world by storm.
the concept of long-term projects or goals that must be realised for the sake of future generations should be our major concerned.
Happy weekend my people. God bless us all. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Hehehehehe.
“What are the criterias of the coaches that have to be considered for the Super Eagles position?
* No corruption allegation
* Man management
* A coach like a father to the players
* The coach that will invite players to camp base on the current form of the players.
* Nigeria need a manager that have passions for football.
* Super Eagles needed a coach that would installed unity into the team….”
Pls which one of these is missing in our current setup, yet you always pray for the team to lose so that you can come to CSN and brag. The only times you have been happy in the last 3 years are anytime the SE lose a match. Today that uncle Segun mentioned Yobo, you have quickly added Yobo to your list….LMAO
I don’t know how many years Segun lived abroad and where, but he surely thinks like one of us.
I have been thinking about Mikel Obi and Ikeme.
We must at this point invest in our own people.
Amuneke, Yobo, Mikel even Oliseh who I don’t like must be recruited and sent dor an on the job training with the best clubs and coaches in the world now.
Just imagine what Kolo Ture is doing with Brenda Rodgers, they go together everywhere.
Imagine Arteta the new Arsenal coach came from under Man city coach.
In the same way we need to embade our own people under some good coaches to learn and grow, and give them all the support to thrive in our national teams thatis assuming we have a nation anyway.
Amuneke, Yobo and Mikel in that order as Headcoach, assistant plus under 23, 2nd assistant plus under 20 Eagles.
We need to guard against corruption by iserting jail terms in their contracts for any acts of nepotism, bribery and or corruption.
Swim or Sink with our Own, we can’t go wrong.
If you put Rohr in charge of any nigerian club side he will fail miserably.
Our league is neither a traing griund nor a yard stick to measure good coaches.
If you hand klopp Newcastle united, he will fail to win the league.
Those who are calling gor our coaches to prove their worth, look at Lampard in Chelsea or Artetha in Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Keshi, Siasia and Amunke have all proved themselves and the hypothesis that our ex SE players that played at the highest level can also coach at the highest level if given the opportunity and supported like the Europeans.
If you put Rohr in charge of any nigerian club side he will fail miserably.
Our league is neither a traing ground nor a yard stick to measure good coaches.
If you hand klopp Newcastle united, he will fail to win the league.
Those who are calling for our coaches to prove their worth, look at Lampard in Chelsea or Artetha in Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Keshi, Siasia and Amunke have all proved themselves and the hypothesis that our ex SE players that played at the highest level can also coach at the highest level if given the opportunity and supported like the Europeans.
@CJ, God bless you so much. You are one of the patriotic Nigerian that sees the truth, eating the truth and loving his country to the core.
I love the names of the coaches you mentioned above. How I wish NFF are reading all of these comments.
We have to go back to the root. We started it first but we abandoned it when Mr. Amaju realized that all our national teams were failing. Instead of him to find solutions to the problem but opted for a foriegn coach which wasn’t a bad idea but the coach doesn’t have the capacity to excel in any tournament and more so, he is good at qualifiers and he doesn’t have winning mentality when facing big teams like Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Italy and so on.
There’s one man that is really needed in these name you and I have mentioned. His role will be different. It’s a special role. Adviser of the team. Who is that person? Mr. Taribo West.
Imagine, Nigeria still finding it difficult to have a reliable goalkeepers and strikers. It is only Osimhen that is available as our outstanding striker as I’m speaking now.
Even, Osimhen haven’t be given a chance when Ighalo was still playing for Nigeria. Not until Ighalo was injured. Onyekuru was mismanaged and Okoye that manned the post against Brazil has been relegated to the bench while Akpayi is our no1 till today.
What is the purpose of having good players and golies but the poor ones has been representing Nigeria under coach Rohr?
Is he the best for the job? Absolutely no. Can our explayers do more than coach Rohr? Absolutely yes but on one condition though.
None of our local coaches had ever enjoyed themselves for being a national team coach.
They must be treated like foriegn coach. Senegal has been using their explayer for their main team and they were second in last year’s Afcon.
Also, Algeria has been using their explayer as well. We saw the result last year when they crowned the continental title.
The Algerian coach have advised other African Countries to follow Algeria and Senegal steps by allowing their explayers to take over their national teams.
He said, foriegn coaches can never solve our problem but still, our NFF have been paying them millions of Naira every month. Oh, black people.
The current NFF have failed. This year must be different. We all have to keep raising our voice. We need a change. The current NFF most go. God bless Nigeria!!!
Hehehehe….honestly speaking, you deserve a slot on Saturday night comedy show.
Amuneke as head coach, Yobo and Mikel as assistant. Taribo as adviser…abeg which kind adviser, technical adviser, financial abi spiritual adviser….LMAO. And you want to win 2021 Afcon and reach Semifinals of 2022 world cup.
What of Odemwingie and Sunday Mba, u nor go find portfolio give them too…? Lolz.
Even your conscience doesn’t have confidence in Amunike. Each time you mention him as SE coach, you will look for another person superintend or assist him. From Westerhoff to Bonfrere, now it is taribo. LMAO.
Rohr cannot defeat big teams, but it is Amuneke that cant defeat big teams like Kenya and Sudan…not to talk of Algeria and Senegal, that will defeat the big teams.
The Algeria and Senegal coaches, did they tell you they were coaching u16s and U17s in Europe before being called to handle their national teams…?
Pls we are not ready to sink again o. We have sunk as deep as 71st in the world not qualifying for 3 out of 4 afcons. Right now we are already swimming and we like it like that. Anybody that wants to sink should go and tie a bag of bricks around his neck and jump into the lagoon. LMAO
It is unthinkable. Yobo? I have never enjoyed Odegbami’s writing plus his tv program. Because England seems to be using x-players and succeeding, does not mean it will work here. Apart from corruption, many many problems make the idea of Nigerian x-players handling the Super Eagles a bad idea. Give it to Europeans, South Americans, former Soviet Union block.
Is there another reasonable news pls?
This one is too dry….second base jare!
Hehehehehe….orisirisi.
So it is in the “abroad” that some people are living that they heard that CIV FA sponsored Toure for on the job training at LCFC abi…or it is the Spanish FA that attached Arteta to Mancity…? LMAO.
No it was English FA that got a job for Lampard at Derby county and also attached John Terry to Aston villa as assistant coach while also sending Steven G on Industry experience training at Glasgow Rangers. Infact it was German FA that sponsored Oliver Khan’s Masters in Business Management studies so that he can be ready to take over as CEO of FC Bayern in 2021. LMAO.
They really live “in the abroad” Lolz. They think like “them” true true.
Don’t tell your ex-internationals to go and engage and develop themselves to the level of globally accepted professionals in order to position themselves for jobs even at the topmost level. They should sit in their homes and be waiting for handouts from NFF.
“in the abroad people” will tell us whether Emenalo collected a dime from anybody to build his capacity before qualifying to head top clubs like Chelsea and Monaco. Seyi Olofinjana is currently the head of scouting and coach of one of the youth teams at Wolverhampton Wanderers….he has developed himself up to PhD level and even is at it with his UEFA Pro license already.
I never knew the senior national team is where aspiring coaches and retired internationals come and begin their coaching careers as interns.
I ask those “in the abroad” again….how many of their own ex-internationals has the “abroad FA” coughed out money to specially train for the sole purpose of getting them ready to handle their “abroad senior national teams”….?
Barcelona are currently having discussions with Xavi who is coach of Al-Saad in a bid to lure him back to the nou camp to take over from Valverde.
Xavi did not sit down in his parlour as per ex-international or golden generation set and expect Spanish FA or Barcelona to be sponsoring him on coaching courses and industrial attachments or instant employment as head coach. Dude worked his socks off to get his coaching badges and even went far away from home in lowly Qatari league to be head coach of a league team.
Some lazy bone ex-internationals will be having false senses of entitlement and be claiming nobody wants to give them job outside Nigeria. No disrespect, but even Christian Chukwu once coached in Lebanon and Kenya and assisted coaches Seb Imasuen (U17) and Westerhoff (SE) before being handed head coach position in the SE. Yet some people want us to do Kalo Kalo with appointments of management of the most important National asset we have.
Abeg DJ, play me the next record biko. Na Yvonne Chaka Chaka I want o. I nor want Sade Adu. Lolz
Interesting comments all the way.
Dr Drey, please you don’t need to honour some people here with your response. Your suggestions shows that you’re miles ahead of them in the scheme of things and of a truth they will continue to argue cuz they can’t comprehend your views.
Daddy Odegbami (with due respect) is very wrong in this regard.
Dr Drey said it all.
For those clamoring for Amuneke, I want us to consider his records as a coach so far;
1. He did excellently well with our U17 team winning the world cup and producing would be world bearers like Osihmen and Chukwueze.
2. Failed woefully at U20 level as he couldn’t qualify his team for U20 AFCON.
3. Many thinks he did well with Tanzania cuz he qualified the team for AFCON but I dare say he didn’t.
Remember CAF increased number of participating teams from 16 to 24 and Tanzania picked one of the last tickets to AFCON. This simply implies that the team wouldn’t have qualified if CAF hadn’t made that move.
At the AFCON, Amuneke’s team failed to make any meaningful impact and crashed out even before playing their 3rd match in Round 1. This simply shows that Tanzania’s participation in AFCON was facilitated by CAF’s increase of participating teams and not by Amuneke’s managerial acumen. If Amuneke had added anything to that team, they should have at least garnered 3 or 4 points in their group even if they take a bow in Round 1.
This is why the Tanzanian FA fired him, I’m sure.
Credit to Amuneke though, cuz he’s not among the ex-players with that entitlement mentality. He’s been busy upgrading his profile since he stopped playing, getting certifications, attending trainings and seminars and of course applying for jobs and taking up challenging coaching jobs at various levels all over Africa. It is expected that with time, he will make his mark in coaching like the late Stephen Keshi. Keshi also failed woefully with our U20 in 2001.
I’m afraid, Amuneke is presently overated by Nigerians and his coaching career may suffer a serious setback if he’s given the SE job now.
Yes, social science has a word for it. I mean what Odegbami is fruitlessly trying to do: forcing Yobo down the throats of NFF and the Nigerian soccer fans as a national team coach. The recommendation, even if well-intentioned, is spurious, disrespectful and potentially injurious to the aspirations of Joseph Yobo. And in developed countries, Yobo has a case for claiming damages for his name being used for dubious promotional purposes without his consent.
But in Nigeria people are hailing Odegbami for doing something illegal that could drag him to the docks and cause a gaping hole in his pockets.
Lest I forget, social scientists call it paternalism. The idea of claiming to know what’s good for others and making decisions for them. Very rampant in Nigeria, but nonetheless frankly wrong. Let the person decide he’s ready to take the rewards and insults of being a national team coach.
We should be very carefulin order to avoid our old horrible experiences with previous employees (indeginenous coaches)