Christian Obi – a former Nigeria goalkeeper, says that an indigenous football coach can’t handle the nation’s senior team, the Super Eagles, for now because of some negative influences on the team Completesports.com reports.
Obi, a Health and Physical Education graduate of University of Ibadan, reckons that the present process of hiring coaches for the Super Eagles is never the best and consequently makes it difficult for any Nigerian to be selected to handle the senior national team.
The 54-year-old shotstopper and Moscow ’85 FIFA U-20 World Cup bronze medalist who spoke during the ex-University of Ibadan Footballers Association interactive virtual program, said Nigerians have the qualities to handle the Super Eagles, but the recruitment procedures have made it extremely difficult, ‘if not impossible’ for any Nigerian coach to be considered good enough for the job.
“It’s always the aspiration of any coach to coach at the highest level like the senior national team, Super Eagles”, starts the former Julius Berger and Iwuanyanwu Nationale goaltender.
Christian Obi
“We have good coaches who have what it takes to handle the senior national team. Nigeria is blessed with quality coaches, but the forces that have taken over the recruitment of coaches for the national team cannot allow a Nigerian to be there for now.”
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Obi added: “The administrators, the agents and the scouts have taken over the job of the coaches, leaving their own jobs undone.
“If proper professionalism is applied in the game, where everyone concentrates on doing his own specific job, coaching the Super Eagles will be easy for a Nigerian coach.
“But for now, given the way things are at the moment, an indigenous coach handling the Super Eagles is not possible ” Obi Obi concluded.
The Heartland FC interim coach would also hit hard on football policy makers for the lamentable state of football in Nigeria, accusing them of coming short in the provision of level playing ground for all clubs.
Obi reasons that absence of a level playing field for all in the domestic scene makes it extremely difficult for the country to have the best representation at the continental levels, because the lopsided system keeps producing half baked champions.
“We have the potential to emerge tops at every football event in Africa and the world. But the inability of our football bodies to provide a level playing ground for all the teams has made it very difficult for us to be where we are supposed to be,” he remarked
“It has led to the downward turn in our football, especially the league. It’s so bad to the extent that the winners of our league cannot stand at par with those of other countries in Africa.
“Before the start of each football season, we tend to have already decided who the winners would be and this has negatively affected our football tremendously.
“This, no doubt, has had negative effects on our representations in continental championships.
“But, if a level playing ground is provided for all the teams, and the best is allowed to emerge, Nigeria has the potential to win all the ínter-club competitions in the continent”, Obi emphasized.
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COMMENTS
If an indigenous coach handle super eagles and he does not call up certain players,Forumites like Alpha,Larry,and co will accuse him of tribal bias and they will echo this accusation Nationwide and make life difficult for the coach……If an indigenous coach handle super eagles and he does not invite the players of rich agents and promoters,they will oil his bank account and activate the naija spirit in him…….Abeg add your own.
This fella looks too old for a 54 years old
Corruption is the bane and cancerous affecting every aspect of our lives in Nigeria. It’s as simple and easy to say Nigerian COACHES can’t handle SE because of corruptible attitudinal approach.
@Akp, May be you should direct your opinion to Alloy Agu. The list of invited players will soon be out. Hopefully, inactive GKs are not considered at the expense of those playing regularly in their clubsides.
May be you should ask Belmadi’s boy, why Ozonwafor has spent more minutes playing on for SE than he has done for hi clubsides in the last 2years.
May be you use ask Belmadi’s boy to practice what he preached about getting players in the top 5 leagues in the world..i.e. Inviting Onyekwuru at the expense of Dennis..
@ Larry let us give these coaches a benefit of doubt na……it’s not easy to coach a national team of 200 million people o……There is no way you can satisfy everyone in a diverse nation like ours…….Let us give them a little patience and pray for them to succeed…….It’s not easy at all because I have held a public post before and even as it was at minimum capacity I found out how multiple and conflicting interest can derail a mission……My brother it is not easy because everything you do or any action you take annoys a certain section and makes a certain section happy…… You need to do alot of balancing and keep reminding yourself that you are not been biased when taking certain decisions……I was so relieved at the end of my tenure but many people didn’t realise how happy I was to relieve myself of the Borden of leadership in a Nigerian society……..Now imagine what this coaches are facing…… Handling conflicting interest of 200million souls.
@Akp, thanks for your comment and sharing your experience.
It is important for the coach to stick to one rule and no double standard.
and drop who for ur denis, osihme or paul, maybe kelechi or morphy. do not use orange to compare apple. vincent s a defender/midfielder while ur denis is a stricker. let him fight to put himself in a better position. and remember desser and umar are knocking on d door
Dennis currently plays from the wing in Watford. He is a better option than Onyekwuru. Perhaps, he is playing regularly in a top league.
Larry u must be a foolish person to blame Rohr over delay in list. Go ask your NFF for the list.
Larry Ozowanfor invited over Anthony Izuchukwu is still strange till date. This same Izuchukwu has the potential to be a world class player with such composure and technique he displays in the heart of defense. It is only in Nigeria that we see this signs and wonders.
@E Samuels Anthony Izuchukwu na baller.
@Chima,absolutely correct.
Are our next matches still holding on Oct.6 & 10 ? Where is the list of invited players ? What is Belmadi’s boy hiding ?