In the aftermath of the Olympic Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2023 U-23 AFCON and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, coach Salisu Yusuf has revealed his intention to return to his role as an assistant coach for the Super Eagles under Jose Peseiro.
Yusuf, banned by FIFA for one year in 2018 after being caught on camera accepting a bribe, had been in charge of both the Olympic Eagles and the Super Eagles B teams. However, his tenure has been fraught with failure, disappointment, and controversies.
The defeat to Guinea in Morocco was the latest in a string of failures for Yusuf, who had also failed to qualify for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) with the Super Eagles B team after losing the ticket to Ghana.
Despite widespread criticisms and constant calls for his dismissal, Yusuf maintains that he still has a contract as an assistant coach with the Super Eagles and plans to honour it.
Speaking to the media, he said, “I am a coach, and I will always be a coach as far as I am fit to work. I have a definition with the side (U23), but I still have a contract with the Super Eagles as an assistant coach.”
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been criticized for its decision to appoint Yusuf, with some fans calling for a new method of appointing coaches for the various teams.
The Secretary-General of the NFF, Mohammed Sanusi, has acknowledged the criticisms and stated that the federation would soon introduce a new strategy for recruiting coaches.
Despite the disappointments and criticisms, Nigeria remains one of the most successful African football nations, having won gold at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, silver at Beijing 2008, and bronze at Rio 2016.
