The Nigeria Football Federation has thrown open the Super Eagles coaching job contrary to the earlier decision to limit the opportunity to expatriates. The change of direction was made late on Wednesday when the Technical and Development Committee of the FA met at the NFF secretariat in Abuja.
The NFF president Amaju Pinnick first gave the hint of limiting the search for a new coach to Europe in a forum held at the Harvard University soon after Sunday Oliseh left his position as Nigeria coach. The NFF board stated the same position when they met with the sports minister Solomon Dalung last month. Wednesday’s meeting was seen as one to tie up their defence on sticking strictly to a European coach but they announced a change of policy instead.On Thursday the NFF said, “After the friendly matches, and before the 2018 FIFA World Cup group phase draw, the Technical Committee will initiate the process for the selection of a substantive technical crew for the Super Eagles, with a head coach. A small team of eminently qualified persons with the required pedigree will take charge of the process, and the best candidate would be selected, irrespective of whether he is indigenous or expatriate.”
The Wednesday meeting also returned Shaibu Amodu to mainstream national coaching as he has been appointed to supervise the interim Eagles coaching crew that will face Mali and Luxembourg next month. Samson Siasia worked as the interim coach for the two AFCON qualifiers against Egypt after Oliseh walked away.
“In view of the upcoming international friendly matches involving the Super Eagles and Mali and Luxembourg in Europe, the committee appointed Salisu Yusuf as interim head coach of the team, to be assisted by Imama Amapakabor (first assistant), Kennedy Boboye (second assistant) and Alloy Agu (Goalkeeper Trainer). This is in line with the NFF board’s resolve to encourage and expose indigenous coaches who show undoubted ability and capacity. The Technical Director, Shaibu Amodu, will play supervisory role,” the NFF said through Ademola Olajire, its Deputy Director of Communications.