Duro Ikhazuagbe
With the World Cup 2026 qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic fast approaching with no substantive coach in charge of the Super Eagles, the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will meet this morning in Abuja to shortlist coaches who have applied to replace Jose Peseiro.
The Portuguese gaffer quit the Nigerian job at the expiration of his contract with the Super Eagles days after leading the three-time African champions to finish as finalist at AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire last month.
Sources at NFF’s Sunday Dankaro House in Abuja hinted yesterday that the Technical Committee will peruse all the applications from coaches who are interested in handling both the senior national team and the Under-17 Golden Eaglets.
“So far, we have applications from coaches like Emmanuel Amuneke, Finidi George, Daniel Amokachi, Samson Siasia and Salisu Yusuf for the vacant Super Eagles post while the likes of Manu Garba, Nduka Ugbade and Abdullahi Biffo have also applied to handle the Golden Eaglets,” observed the top football source.
Although there are reports of Nigerian coaches based in the diaspora for the Super Eagles job, nobody at the NFF secretariat could volunteer names of the foreign-based gaffers who have applied to Coach Super Eagles.
One name that keeps coming up in football circles all through last weekend was Sunday Oliseh, the fiery former captain and coach of the Super Eagles.
The former Juventus and Borussia Dortmund player handled the team in the first term of Amaju Pinnick as president of the NFF but had to leave the post due to irreconcilable differences with the federation officials.
When asked on Channels television sports show recently on wether he was keen to return to the Nigerian job, Oliseh expressed excitement at coaching the Super Eagles once more.
“As I have often said, if Nigeria needs my services, I will always help my country if the right conditions are met. Right now, what I can say on the question of coming back to the Eagles job is: I am going to put my wildcard on this question,” Oliseh said in reply to question on wether he was called king back to Eagles.
After the Technical Committee meeting today, the list of those recommended will be forwarded to the NFF Executive Committee that has the final say on who will step into the shoes vacated by the Portuguese coach who against all odds, took Eagles to the final of AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire.
The substantive coach is expected to be announced before next week.
