Former Super Eagles midfielder Seyi Olofinjana has revealed the reason behind his decision to reject technical director role offered him by the Nigeria Football Federation.
Olofinjana was approached by the NFF last year to fill the position but he declined.
Austine Eguavoen, a former defender later got the job, while Olofinjana now works as technical director of Grasshopper Club Zurich.
“It was difficult, but at the same time, easy,” Olofinjana told BBC Sport Africa.
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“I think the federation made it a little bit easier for me to make that judgement call. There were certain questions I asked of the federation that they weren’t able to answer.
“What needs doing? Where do they think we are as a nation? Where do we need to get to? How quickly do we need to get to those places?
“I didn’t get answers to those questions and that is the day-to-day job for me. If there’s no clarity, there’s no going forward.
“Do I regret saying no? Absolutely not. Is there a part of me that thinks it could be a good opportunity for me to go and put myself in the history books and try to help my people? Absolutely! I’m still looking for that opportunity
“I’ll continue to knock on the door. Any day. I don’t know the day. I’m Nigerian. I can’t change that.”
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COMMENTS
Hahaha NFA. No future ambition. Thank God you ran for your dear life. This present NFA is clueless like Buhari. Don’t once these jokers are gone, a good NFA will attract people like you. Right now, let’s be feeding on scraps.
Hahaha NFA. No future ambition. Thank God you ran for your dear life. This present NFA is clueless like Buhari. Don’t worry,once these jokers are gone, a good NFA will attract people like you. Right now, let’s be feeding on scraps.
Obviously,Olofinjana is interested in the job going by his communication but he wants to go about it professionally.
If the right environment is not in place why take the job?He obviously wants to make a mark because in his world that’s the essence of assuming an office.If the football authorities couldn’t find an answer to questions on the way forward for Nigerian football then there’s something wrong and Olofinjana doesn’t want to get involved because he has a name and a future to protect.
A noble person with admirable qualities Seyi Olofinjana.
Hopefully,someday probably soonest,you will get your chance to work in Nigeria but this time with a different Nff one to suit your ideologies and creed.
He’s really a technical director. Those where really technical questions, Olofin, you are not wrong in anyway, an average Nigerian knows that nothing seems working presently, please focus on your career in Zurch. If we fix this country one day, your experience then should had alao be increased, that’s if Jesus Tarries.
Well said Green Lantern.
That’s a rare demonstration of sincerity, a quality that must become common before we rise to join the progressive nations.
From NFA (NO FUTURE AMBITION) To NFF (NO FUTURE FRUITFULNESS) it just keep getting worse.
ODAJU MELVIN PICNIC…You are a joker. Thanks for leading the NFF to it’s highest record of failure.
PINNICK OUT!!!
Oga 9ja go rubbish you, focus ooo
Thank God you didn’t take up the job this people will rubbish your good name
It is a lesson to be learnt. Next time pick up the appointment even if you sense abnormalities, then from within change the system. May be Olafinjana should have been the super eagles coach now. I think he is regretting.
You’re wrong Henry zero regret , He would come on board when the environment is conducive to lead .
He would perform better when the right people are in place not jokers they would rubbish your personality
But if the good people keep running away and allow for the bad eggs to continue running our a country affairs, then when and how are we going to make a change? You dnt change situation from afar, you get the job and teach those fools how it’s done.
He was right to have rejected it and that’s why he has a better job. A good head among 100 bad you ones will not be able to achieve anything, just like the polity in Nigeria. They will drag ur good name in the mud and ppl like u and me would be the first to call him names. I give it to Seyi on this one.
Mr. Henry there is zero regret, he is doing way better than you you could ever imagine, he has a better job than the job of sabotaging Rohr and the Eagles the which was exactly the intention of NFF who after all foud a willing tool in Eguavouen to be used in that regard. Olofinjana is in a good place and doesn’t need to swim nor play in the dirty mud with pigs.
NFF needs to be reformed, the right policies has to implemented,the right people should be eligible for participation and for holding elective positions, not clueless clowns like Pinnick and Co.
When people with Clare vision are in place, the right will be done then people like Olofinjana will be happy to contribute to take us steps higher than where we are. People who could not answer the question about where they think we are, where we need to get to and how quickly we need to get there, have no business running our affairs.
Cameroon is beginning to put the right people in position with the electing Samuel E’to as the FA president, Nigeria should borrow a leaf from them.
I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY DOMB COMMENTS ABOUT BEING A GOOD FOOTBALL PLAYER DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL BE A GOOD ADMINISTRATOR.
We never really had administrators but thieves who took those positions only for the fact that they will have access to millions of dollars coming from CAF and FIFA as grant, with intention to steal those money without accountability and rendering ZERO service to the country. It is time to change the eligibility of people who can be elected and employed to work in the Football Federation, let the former footballers take charge and full control of our football. They wore the shoes, they know where it hurts.
Mr. Henry there is zero regret, he is doing way better than you could ever imagine, he has a better job than the job of sabotaging Rohr and the Eagles which was exactly the intention of NFF who after all foud a willing tool in Eguavouen to be used in that regard. Olofinjana is in a good place and doesn’t need to swim nor play in the dirty mud with pigs.
NFF needs to be reformed, the right policies has to implemented,the right people should be eligible for participation and for holding elective positions, not clueless clowns like Pinnick and Co.
When people with Clare vision are in place, things will be done the right way then people like Olofinjana will be happy to contribute to take us steps higher than where we are. People who could not answer the questions about where they think we are, where they think we need to get to and how quickly they think we need to get there, have no business running our affairs.
Cameroon is beginning to put the right people in position with electing Samuel E’to as the FA president, Nigeria should borrow a leaf from them.
I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY DOMB COMMENTS ABOUT BEING A GOOD FOOTBALL PLAYER DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL BE A GOOD ADMINISTRATOR, because we never really had administrators but thieves whose main reasons of taking those positions are the free access to millions of dollars coming from CAF and FIFA as grant, with intention to steal those money without accountability and rendering ZERO services to the country withthe knowledge that questions are almostnever asked about how the money was spent.
It is time to change the eligibility of people who can be elected and be employed to work in the Football Federation, let the former footballers take charge and full control of our football. They wore the shoes, they know where it hurts, how to manage, minimize, plan to fully eliminate the pain and work towards the growth of our football⚽️.
Just well said if you’re a Nigerian serve your country than pointing out the problem and not serving
Hehehehehe…these are people who dont need damn NFF jobs to succeed in life. These are people whose CVs get them top jobs in the same Europe where lazy ones use skin colour as alibi for their joblessness.
“…There were certain questions I asked of the federation that they weren’t able to answer.
1. What needs doing?
2. Where do they think we are as a nation?
3. Where do we need to get to?
4. How quickly do we need to get to those places?
I didn’t get answers to those questions and that is the day-to-day job for me (JOB DESCRIPTION). If there’s no clarity, there’s no going forward….”
Hahahahaha…..our NFF could not answer 4 simple questions. They have no clue as what needs to be done. They have no clue as to our current state (EVEN WHEN IT IS SCREAMING TO THE HEAVENS FOR DELIVERANCE AND REVIVAL). They have no idea of where they want us to go (ALL IN THEIR MINDS WAS HOW TO GET ROHR OUT OF THE SEAT). If they didnt know where we are headed, how will they know how fast we should travel in order to get there.
That is the shame of what we call a football federation.
No wonder they got “their own” and glued him there as a figure head without a job description, paid him salary for over a year for doing nothing….LMAOooo.
1st assignment was to call up a home-based squad vs mexico…….total disaster. He relied on friends and agents (despite claiming to have been attending league matches and “scouting” for home based players) and initially called up a disastrous squad of injured players and unfit bench warmers. Trained them for 10 days yet they couldnt even know as much as where to stand on the pitch vs Mexico.
2nd assignment AFCON squad…another near disaster….we are still cleaning up the mess their lack of sincerity and organization has created. 1st time in recallable history of Nigerian football that a national team’s final tournament squad will be announced without the announcement of a provisional squad or screening….LMAOoooo
Otherwise, who turns down a coaching job offer with a massive club like Djoliba of Mali, for a figure head Technical Director job with the NFF with ZERO job description and ZERO clarity of where the FA wants the nation’s football to go, except for a lazy exinternational who is desperate for the position of SE head coach, as already planned and ready to be hatched by the FA.
Ask Yobo too what his job description is in the SE, and he himself and his employers cant tell. He just runs around like the errand boy that he is, carrying accreditation tag of SE asst. coach up and down. Take homebased team and prepare them for friendly invitational will fellow homebased teams of Congo, inaaaa….even his employers dare not…..LMAOoooo. If Yobo was of any use in the SE, why did NFF name Salisu, Aigbogun and the other Dr. as Eguavoen’s assistants…? LMAOooo. Why did they Name Kanu, Okocha and Garba Lawal as technical waht what…?
No wonder the FA is not treating them with respect. When you don’t respect yourself, you cant cry when others do not respect you. People like Seyi Olofinjana respect themselves, so they never allow greed and desperation push them to taking up senseless and directionless jobs.
I wont be surprised if this is also what transpired between the NFF and Amunike before the were left with no option than to hand the SE job to “Mr interim no-nonsense” after they belatedly succeeded in sabotaging Rohr out of the scene.
No sensible human being can agree to take up any roles with this NFF with the way they are at the moment. Except desperate fellows who have nothing to loose from an already soiled CV.
Well said Drey. Truth is bitter but must be told.
Of course my brother. It has to be told and will continued to be told, no matter whose intestines its burns…..LMAOooo. Imagine the NFF could answer simple, basic questions….same way some charlatans here are never able to answer simple, basic questions once their rabble rousing is countered. Instead they went with their owns who never ask questions once NFF opens their ‘beautiful gate’ to them.
Gbam! You nailed it! Clueless bunch, they can’t determine what their long term or short term goals are. With the rudderless drifting of the federation to destination no where. Olofijana is not your average ex international, even whilst playing he had a degree. Imagine! They do not even know where they are going, this is their job, providing direction for Nigerian football but they are too busy tinkering with the team list or other matters that are not within their purview. How do we flush these bad eggs out? Any ideas anyone?
You talk well Dr Drey. Six gbosas for you.
NFF management are third class compared to other world football national organizations listening to Pinnick gives press conference tells it all…if NFF management or the whole institutions of both government and private sector produce at the level the entertainment sector is competing with the rest of the world Nigeria will be the Singapore of Africa