Ex-international midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju has denied reports that he has submitted an application for an appointment as coach of Nigeria’s national team, Super Eagles.
The widely acclaimed ‘Headmaster,’ who was part of Nigeria’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad in Tunisia and team to their maiden FIFA World Cup outing at USA ’94, stressed that the report is false.
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Adepoju, who was also in Nigeria’s squad to France ’98 World Cup and scored in a 3-2 shock defeat of Spain, added that he had also seen the report, but posited that it was a figment of the writer’s imagination.
He further disclosed how he had openly stated his support for an indigenous coach to take over the Eagles’ saddle, hence his satisfaction on hearing that Daniel Amokachi, Emmanuel Amuneke and Finidi George had applied for the job.
The former attacking midfielder, who played extensively in Spain with Castella and Real Sociedad, stressed that he did not apply to be the Eagles’ coach at any point and cited that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) never mentioned his name among the applicants.
“I never spoke about Super Eagles’ appointment. I never applied, and I am sure the NFF did not mention my name.
“I already supported calls for an indigenous coach for the job. I was happy to hear that Amokachi, Finidi, and Amuneke applied. The NFF then announced their choice.
“Will I then go behind them and apply in secret?” Adepoju, who is now an ambassador of the Spanish Liga in Nigeria, pondered.
The soft-spoken devout Muslim then threw more light on a social media podcast that was referenced as a source of the report, but disclosed that he only spoke therein about the beginning of his days in Spain.
Adepoju, who is also a former player and official of Shooting Stars of Ibadan, concluded: “I was just looking at my time in Spain, with Castella and Real Madrid.
“I spoke about it on my X handle. It was just about how I got to Spain; but nothing about the Super Eagles. I don’t know where they got their story from.”