matches against Mali and Luxembourg in Europe. The appointments were part of the decisions reached at a meeting of the powerful Technical and Development Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation held in Abuja yesterday. Salisu’s appointment, the committee alluded, was “in line with the NFF Board’s resolve to encourage and expose indigenous coaches who show undoubted ability and capacity.” The National Technical Director, Shaibu Amodu will play supervisory role. Pundits had, before Wednesday, speculated that top on the agenda for the technical committee meeting was how they intended to prepare a defence and justification for the engagement of a foreign manager for the team as demanded by the Minister of Sports and Youth, Solomon Dalung. The meeting, however, decided that “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”.