Former general secretary of the Nigeria Football Association and world cup winning coach Fanny Amun has again voiced out on the issue of transition in various National teams in Nigeria.
He stated this while answering questions during an online session “Hot Seat” on Nigeria Sports Centre WhatsApp platform anchored by Ace sport journalist Akeem Busari.
“We thank God for everything, the U-17 team has been very successful as far as Nigeria is concerned. Credit goes to the country because talents abound everywhere from A to Z. I want to state it very clear that success of the team does not belong to the coach alone. It is everybody that has the collective success. The spectators are there, the fans are there, the sport loving Nigerians are there, the administrators are there, the government that provides the funds while the Federation administers”.
The way and manner of transition into the various national teams has always not been too successful.
One of of the reason but not limited to the issue is ego. Mr A won the U17 championship, the U20 coach says no,I don’t want to take them over, he has a new team, the U23 coach says no, form a new team. Some use purely home based, some marry the home and foreign based players that are within the age of 23 together. The national team coach may say I’m not going to use any of the U17, U20, or U23 no matter the meaningful impact that they’ve had. He wants to form his own team.
Transition has been an issue but I’m sure with time the issue will resolve itself.
“I still have the best record today because a lot of players metamorphosed into the Olympic team, into the U20 and the Super Eagles but I believe very strongly that the other coaches are doing everything possible to achieve same feat or a better feat and with time it will be over”.
Speaking further, Amun said “I want to state very clear that I was into youth football but I left early due to injury and I went into coaching and youth football administration.
“I have a certificate from the National Institute of Sport (NIS). I was the foundation coach of the Olympic team in 1996 but I was swapped with coach Willy Bazuaye and I went to the U17 for the Meridian Cup in Lisbon, Portugal which we won while coach Bazuaye took over the Olympic team and was joined by Bonfere Jo and they won the Olympic gold in Atlanta 1996”.
“I was Super Eagles coach ahead of the 1998 world cup in France but the usual politics came and Bora Milutinovic came into the team for the France ’98 world cup”.
“After the world cup, I came back to the office as assistant technical director with my then boss Chief Kashimawo Laloko, the technical director. He was there for more than 5 years.
January 2005 to January 2007, I became the general secretary of the NFA, I ruled as the sole administrator when the crises was on. I ushered in Alhaji Sani Lulu’s board.
I went to the Lagos State University to study Public Administration, I also have an MBA in Public Administration, he concluded.
By Babatunde Ojo
