Former Nigeria international Sylvanus Okpala has expressed his readiness to be the next head coach of the Super Eagles, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, is yet to name a new head coach following the departure of the Portuguese tactician Jose Peseiro.
The former Sporting Lisbon manager guided the Super Eagles to a second-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Still, he left the role following the expiration of his contract.
While some want the NFF to negotiate a new deal with Peseiro, many are calling for the appointment of an indigenous coach to handle the three-time African champions.
Some names reportedly being considered for the Super Eagles job include Emmanuel Amunike, George Finidi, Daniel Amokachi, Ndubuisi Egbo, and United States' U19 national team coach Michael Nsien.
However, Okpala, a member of the Nigerian team that lifted the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations trophy on home soil, wants his name to be in the mix of potential Super Eagles head coach.
The former Enugu Rangers midfielder has a decent coaching career, having served as assistant to coach Stephen Keshi when the Super Eagles won the AFCON for the third time in 2013.
In an interview with the Punch, Okpala applauded Peseiro while expressing the belief that he has the technical know-how to help the Super Eagles win the AFCON and the World Cup.
“The only thing I can say about Peseiro is that he has tried his best, but the game goes on,” Okpala said.
“I'm one of those that should replace him.
“I’ve won the Nations Cup as a player, and I have won it as an assistant coach to Keshi; the record is there. It is not easy. It’s not by luck or mathematics; it’s by knowledge.
“The team we went to South Africa with, you can't compare them with these boys. We went there with home-based boys, playing in the Nigerian league.
“It was only Mikel (Obi); even Mikel wasn’t a regular player in Chelsea then when he came with us. Then (Emmanuel) Emenike, and I think (Ahmed) Musa too.
“We had only about one year with the boys then, but this team has spent over two years together. We have players that can win the World Cup.
“So yes, if I am given a chance, I will do wonders with these boys.
“I'm very good at reading games, and that gives me an advantage too.”
The Super Eagles have claimed the AFCON trophy three times but have never made it past the second round at the FIFA World Cup.
N.B: Should Sylvanus Okpala be made the next Super Eagles coach? Leave your comments below.
This coach has started lying even before giving the job because 2013 squad was dominated by foreign based players while about five or six players were home based.
He claimed that three players were Foreign based,meanwhile in the starting lineup then three or four players always featured for SE.. I could remember vividly that Sunday Mba and Oboabona were regular home based in the team. By the time he starts fumbling as SE coach series of lies would be the order of the day to the detriment of the team and football fans in Nigeria.
SE need competent coach be it local or foreign
what’s SE?
Super Eangles
If NFA should go for a local Coach, then Emmanuel Amunike is the best option. Apart from him, I can’t find any other person. They are all bouch of coaches that had failed to develop themselves for a bigger stage.
We don’t want those that will drag us backward. Is it those coaches that could not qualify Nigeria Nigeria U17, U21, U23 in Africa that will take over the Super Eagles?
For better Performance in the world cup We need a good coach from Brazil or Argentina better still a Portuguese coach assisted by siyvanus okpala
why looking for Brazilian coach..even Brazil is looking for a coach .. let us trust our own support Amunike with a long term program and see the results..cote voire drive away a foreign coach and later win the tournament with a local coach….
Amunike stands slightly tall 4rm Amokachi, siasia, Nsien & one other 9ja coach who won a league with Tira at Albania . Amunike is 1st 4me bcoz of his experience with other national team and I see him as some1 with a different charisma; Amokachi has been there and I feel he won’t really do well coz ego and I sabi dz house pass any player or trynna be something he ain’t might hinder him just lk Okpala wei dei make mouth now like person wei dei eat hot Akara BUT if the NFA wants a foreign coach, abeg let it be some1 with pedigree or future potential pedigree not a quack coach with wayward history lk Peseiro or a coach that will come and use our boys to shine his CV and then leave even after underperfoeming tactically…. SE v all d necessary arsenal to b Afcon cham steadily back to back for years to come but the quack coach called Peseiro with his outdated tactics and passive methods made SE very unappealing to her fans & d world at large. SE come b like struggling team, weak NT – na d coach methods make b like that not the players…
so I suggest the NFA forget about greed , corruption and their incompetence and approach better coaches 4rm Netherlands, Germany, Spain or Argentina. didn’t Cameroun our small backyard brother hired a legend SEEDORF, Ghana sef b4 hires better coaches b4 they went local
if local then Amunike but if foreign then get us a renowed foreign coach to help bring flavour back to our national team
as long as coach don’t want to build on their previous game played dey wil always be found wanting.. see how Uganda defeated the u 20 eagles yesterday….
every nation wants to beat Nigeria..
the nigerian team attack as if dey have no sherperd and the Uganda team used the south Africa way to score two goals…
Emmanuel Amunike should head the team as a coach, assisted by George Finidi. Then bring Vincent Enyeama back to the fold as the coach to the goalkeepers.
Super Eangles
The Eagles had no tactical superiority against Ghana and Mali in their recent encounters. One could see Mali was a better coached side. Time to give Amunike a chance.