Former Nigerian International, Emmanuel Amuneke has said that his decision to leave his post as Taifa Stars head coach was a mutual agreement with the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).
The former African Footballer of the Year in a telephone interview with THISDAY said he was delighted to work with the federation and there is the need for him to move on and will not want to tie the development of a people to him as a person.
“I have done my best to qualify the team to AFCON for the first time in 39 years and we had a mission to forge ahead when we got to the tournament but the results did not go our way.
“Along with my assistant coaches, we have done our best and I have to move on. I want to thank the people of Tanzania for giving me the opportunity to serve them in that capacity. The FA was good to me but then their football development must not be tied to me.
“My own journey in life should also not be stagnant in a place hence I have to move on and my journey in life must continue. For now I want to reunite with my family because it’s been long since we were together,” he expressed last night.
Although he plans to spend few more days in Tanzania before rejoining his family in Spain, Amuneke urged the football loving fans to stand by their team in spite of the results of the three matches of the tournament in Egypt.
The FA in a statement earlier yesterday confirmed the development via its website which read: confirmed on Monday that Emmanuel Amuneke has left his position as head coach of the national team by mutual consent.
“The Tanzania Football Association and the national team coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, have reached a joint agreement to terminate the contract,” the TFF wrote on their website.
The federation said a temporary coach would be appointed after their emergency meeting on Thursday, and he would lead them for the upcoming qualifiers for the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Tanzania begins the regional CHAN qualifiers against neighbours Kenya later this month.
The TFF also stated that the “search for the new coach has started immediately.”
Amuneke, a former Nigeria and Barcelona player, was the assistant coach when Nigeria won the FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy for a record fourth time in the United Arab Emirates in 2013.
Two years later, he led Nigeria to a fifth U-17 World Cup title in Chile and, revered as a proven youth manager, he was swiftly promoted to coach the U-20 side the Flying Eagles.
As a player, he was a key part of the Super Eagles team, scoring both goals at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia where Nigeria beat Zambia 2-1 to secure the second African title.
Amuneke, who scored Nigeria’s winning goal to win the 1996 Olympic soccer goal in Atlanta was appointed as coach of Tanzania in August of 2018,
Taifa Stars lost all their three matches and finished bottom in the group.
