The Dutchman left his role as Nigeria’s manager following the team’s second-round exit at their debut World Cup appearance in USA 94.
Clemens Westerhof has revealed he left Nigeria because his contract as the Super Eagles coach expired, and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) did not offer him a renewal.
The former Feyenoord coach was appointed as Super Eagles manager in 1989 after the team failed to qualify for the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Westerhof’s time as Super Eagles manager was arguably the most successful period for Nigeria’s senior national team.
Under Westerhof’s tutelage, the Super Eagles were not only the top team in Africa but also one of the best teams in the world.
In his first year in charge, he led Nigeria to the final of the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations where they lost to hosts, Algeria.
At the 1992 edition, the Super Eagles could not match their 1990 feat, but they still finished third. However, two years later, Westerhof’s led team had their best year as they won the Nations Cup in Tunisia, and also qualified for the World cup for the first time.
At the World Cup, the Super Eagles impressed and were voted the second- most entertaining team at that tournament despite going out in the second round.
But despite returning home as heroes, Westerhof left the shores of Nigeria which came as a surprise to some. The Dutchman has now revealed he left because the NFF did not renew his contract.
“I left Nigeria because my contract had ended and it was not renewed,” Westerhof said in an interview with Vanguard. We played Italy on the fifth of July. Fourth of July was my wife’s birthday. I invited the journalists for a drink.
There I told them that from the first of July, my contract had ended. You go to Lagos, and I return to Holland. I was a free man from the first because my contract was finished. I worked for five days for free.
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