… delays appointment of new Super Eagles coach?
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Manu Garba, the former U-17 World Cup-winning coach, as the new Head Coach of the Nigeria U-17 boys, Golden Eaglets.
Garba, who led the Golden Eaglets to victory in the FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2013, brings a wealth of experience and success to the role.
During his previous tenure, the team secured Nigeria’s fourth triumph at the U17 level. Notable talents from his squad included Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi, Isaac Success, Musa Mohammed, Chidiebere Nwakali, and goalkeeper Dele Alampasu.
The team’s journey to victory was notable, beginning with their emergence as runners-up at the African U17 Championship in Morocco, followed by a dominant performance in the FIFA U17 World Cup.
They achieved impressive victories, including a memorable 6-1 win over Mexico in the opening game and a convincing 3-0 triumph over Sweden in the semi-finals, ultimately securing the trophy with a resounding victory over Mexico in the final match. Now,
Garba is set to lead the Golden Eaglets as they gear up for the upcoming WAFU B U17 Championship, scheduled to be held in Ghana next month.
Meanwhile, football-loving Nigerians have waited with bated patience for the NFF since the end of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) about two months ago to appoint and announce the next coach of the senior national football team, “the Super Eagles” without any success.
The wait seems not to be ending any time soon. The unnecessary delay in the appointment of the next Super Eagles coach after the exit of foreign coach, Jose Peseiro, portends grave danger to Nigeria’s qualification for the next World Cup, not forgetting that the next round of the World Cup qualifying series comes up in barely a month and few weeks in June.
Recall that the Super Eagles started the World Cup qualification journey on a serious back foot – playing two matches so far and scrambling just two points out of a maximum of six points.
Therefore it is noteworthy that the new Super Eagles coach, coming with his ideas and vision for the Super Eagles, would need some time to blend a new team that will be away from the current wholesale foreign-based players deployed by the departed Peseiro.
These important reminders call for worry, and the need for the Super Eagles to prepare well for the next round of World Cup qualifiers and go ahead to bungle the upcoming June matches like they did in the earlier two, then, otherwise, Nigeria might as well bid goodbye to the next World Cup Tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The NFF’s appointment of the U-17 World Cup-winning coach, Manu Garba, as the new coach of the Golden Eaglets, is coming barely one month before the U-17 qualifiers.
Score Nigeria reports that Nigerians are already commenting on why it should take the NFF this long to appoint Manu, knowing the schedule of the U17 Qualifiers.
Likewise, Nigerians are raising serious concerns about why it is taking the NFF a long time to appoint the coaches of the senior national teams.
Just as the notable very late appointment of Ladan Bosso as the coach of the Flying Eagles to the African Games and the embarrassing results associated with that late appointment.
Football Legend Segun Odegbami has voiced out his concerns on the delay, admonishing the NFF that the appointment of a coach for the Super Eagles is not a “rocket science”, but a simple decision to make and announce to Nigerians within the shortest time to enable the Super Eagles start getting ready for the qualifiers.
Other respected and knowledgeable football minds have also said the same thing, that the unnecessary delay in the appointment of the next coach of the Eagles is hurtful to our World Cup qualification chances.
