A weekly sports programme on Supersports, Sports Africa, featured former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, few days ago. Thomas Lambo and two other South African presenters were on the show to drill the top official of the Confederation of Africa Football and FIFA Council member.
Pinnick gave a good insight about the challenges of all the heads of football federations across the continent based on his experience and the exposure he has gained as a CAF executive with direct access to information and operations of the game inn all the countries in Africa.
Of note is the way Pinnick responded to the South African presenter who were bent on putting him on the edge. The former NFF boss answered with so much intelligence, exposure and also confidence about the trending issues in the round leather game.
Today in Nigeria, I am so concerned about the half backed coaches in the domestic league. Some of these coaches got to their positions via and luck and they have, over the years, refused to develop themselves.
The Nigeria Football Federation also have a role to play. The NFF can arrange courses for these coaches in Nigeria.
Top FIFA and CAF officials can be invited to the country to train and retrain our coaches to attain the required certification expected from them.
At the recent CAF Women’s Champions League, coach Moses Adukwu of Edo Queens was denied a seat on the bench of the team because he does not have the certification of CAF which is the CAF A license, equivalent to the UEFA B License in Europe for coaches.
Emmanuel Amuneke and Sunday Oliseh are some of the Nigerian coaches with the UEFA A license.
Coach Adukwu’s case was not the first for Nigeria. Duke Udi, a very talented player in the colours of Nigerlock FC of Lagos and Concord FC was also a victim. Udi was a former Flying Eagles and Super Eagles player but he was denied a seat on the bench for not meeting the expected requirement o CAF
This weekend, Enyimba will be on continental duties and coach Yemi Olanrewaju cannot be on the bench because he, also does not have the CAF A license. This is so bad and absurd.
The NFF and the Nigeria Professional Football League can make it mandatory for all the Head coaches to have the CAF A license. The NFF can help by bringing in expatriates to train them but no coach should handle the elite team without the required license of CAF.
We like to cut corners in the country but the right things must be done at all times. If the aid from NFF is not forthcoming, Nigerian coaches can update themselves to get the license from courses neighboring counties like Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo and Niger.
Funny enough, some of these club coaches are being looked up to for the Super Eagles job. But, how? If you do not have the qualification to handle club at continental level why aspire for the Eagles job?
This is the biggest brand in Nigerian sports and it cannot be just anybody in charge. The NFF should try to help these coaches just as they should also grow up to help themselves and get better. A good coach can be anywhere, not just Nigeria.
The continental Africa Nations Cup, CHAN, is loading and Nigeria is to play Ghana in a tough fixture that will determine qualification for the finals of the event. Ordinarily, Nigeria and Ghana should be at the event just as I have stated on a number of times here that the CAF’s style of having representation from all regions is not good.
It should be a matter of the best teams representing CAF not representation which has given rise to WAFU B event in which Nigeria must beat Ghana, Cote d’ Ivore to progress in continental events.
West Africa has dominated football in Africa over the years and it is sad that Nigeria and Ghana cannot be in the same competition at global stage especially the age grade.
It has to be one of the two countries. Austin Eguavon rolled out a list for the CHAN team that will confront Ghana later this month. The same person is the head of the technical department of the federation and he is expected to attend to other routine things in the office.
Now, he is to take charge of the CHAN Eagles as he did with Super Eagles. This shows how UNSERIOUS we are because the work load on this man is too much for him. A decision should be taken to confirm him as a coach and get another Technical Director or a good coach should be named while Eguavoen returns to the office.
The time to decide is now because there are no FIFA windows ahead, so Nigeria is stuck with Eguavoen. Really? Too bad for a country with so much talented and knowledgeable coaches. Action time is now so we can look up to the future with hope!
