At least ten candidates submitted their applications indicating their interest for the vacant Super Eagles head coach job to the Nigeria Football Federation before deadline day on Tuesday, 12 March 2024, Soccernet.ng reports.
The NFF last week called for applications to fill the position of the Super Eagles head coach following the departure of Portuguese tactician Jose Peseiro.
Peseiro led the Nigerian national team to the runner-up spot at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
However, despite showing interest in continuing in the role, he could not reach a contractual agreement with the NFF.
Several top coaches are jostling to succeed Peseiro, including one European.
Former Barcelona winger Emmanuel Amunike tops the list, as he is among the first to submit his application.
Amunike is banking on his excellent playing and coaching career that saw him win the gold medal at the 1994 AFCON and the 1996 Olympic Games before leading the Golden Eaglets to glory at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The former Zamalek star also helped Tanzania qualify for the 2019 AFCON, the country’s first appearance at the tournament since 1980.
Also confirmed to have submitted their applications are the current United States U19 team coach, Michael Nsien, and former Super Eagles assistant coach Sylvanus Okpala.
Former Tirana FC handler Ndubuisi Egbo, the first Nigerian coach to win a league title in Europe in the 2019/20 season in Albania, is also interested, as well as former Super Eagles assistant coach Daniel Amokachi.
Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh is believed to have also confirmed his interest in the vacant position.
Former Cameroon national team head coach Antonio Conceicao, who guided the Indomitable Lions to a third-place finish at the 2021 AFCON, is also in the mix.
George Finidi, who guided Enyimba FC to the league title last year before serving as assistant to Peseiro at AFCON 2023, has also shown interest in becoming the next Super Eagles boss.
Interestingly, the controversial duo of Samson Siasia and Salisu Yusuf have also thrown their hats in the ring.
Siasia is currently banned by FIFA from all football-related activities after being caught in the middle of a match-fixing investigation, which found him guilty of bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches.
The ban on the former Nantes striker will be lifted in August, and he hopes the NFF will pause the appointment of the new coach until then.
Salisu Yusuf is a former chief coach of the Nigeria national football team with an impressive record of winning the NPFL in 2008 and the FA Cup twice.
However, his record was tainted in 2018 when he was fingered in bribery allegations involving CHAN Super Eagles players.
The NFF is expected to name the new Super Eagles head coach in April.
LIST OF INTERESTED CANDIDATES
1. Michael Nsien
2. Sylvanus Okpala
3. Samson Siasia
4. Daniel Amokachi
5. Ndubuisi Egbo
6. Salisu Yusuf
7. Antonio Conceicao
8. Emmanuel Amunike
9. Sunday Oliseh
10. Finidi George
11. Henry Makinwa
N.B: Who do you NOT want to see as the next Super Eagles head coach? Leave your comments below.
All of them except Siasia and Conceicao….the rest are not qualified and doesn’t have what it takes to handle the super eagles for god’s sake Go for Pitso Mosimane…if he’s available please…I am tired of shouting myself haox … Pitso Mosimane is all you need for the super eagles….
A COUNTRY THAT IS NOT EVEN NEAR TO BE CALL GIANT OF AFRICA DOESN’T WASTE TIME IN EMPLOYING/APPOINTING A NEW COACH. IN LAST AFCON, GHANA, IVORY COAST, S/AFRICA FUMBLED, THEIR COACHES WERE SACKED AND THEY EMPLOY A NEW COACH IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT WASTING TIME.
IN THIS YEAR AFCON, ALGERIA FA SACKED THEIR COACH & THEY EMPLOYED A NEW COACH WITHIN THREE WEEKS.
OUR NFF ALWAYS LIKE TO BE WASTING TIME IN EMPLOYING NEW COACH BECAUSE OF RIGGING, MANIPULATION & CORRUPTION.
*** IN THE AREA WHETHER TO EMPLOY INDIGENOUS OR FOREIGN COACH:
WHAT IS IMPORTANT MOST IS TO EMPLOY A COACH THAT WILL BE:
1. RESPECTED BY PLAYERS & KNOW OUR PLAYERS( both local & foreign) AND AFRICAN FOOTBALL
2. SELF & HIGHLY DISCIPLINE
3. NOT TOLERATED NONSENSE
4. ALWAYS USE PRESENT FORM AS A YARDSTICK FOR PLAYERS INVITATION
5. NOT USING EXPERIENCE/CAPTAINSHIP/LEADERSHIP(that is not fit), EGO, OR SENIORITY IN PLAYERS SELECTION
7. READY TO IMPOSE DISCIPLINE & COMMITMENT(with characters)INTO THE TEAM.
8. READY NOT TO WORSHIP ANY PLAYERS & NOT BE INDISPENSABLE OF ANY PLAYERS
9. HE SHOULD READY TO SEARCH FOR PLAYERS ANYWHERE & NOT USE SENTIMENT OR FAVOURISM IN INVITING/SELECTING PLAYERS
10. HE SHOULD BE UPDATED & UP-TO-DATE IN FOOTBALL TACTICAL
11. HE SHOULD STAND FIRM & NOT ALLOW ANYBODY TO BE CONTROLLING HIM OR DICTATING TO HIM.
12. HE SHOULD READY TO WORK WITH HIS TECHNICAL CREWS
u have a point here
he didn’t apply
Siasia is banned
finidi is also a good option
has Pitso mosimane paid someone to campaign for him? like really? Abi you dey craze? go and check his track record, if he’s that good why isn’t coaching his country, Abi you dey smoke Igbo?8 give the job to a patriotic Nigeria who has wore the green and white before,
Dey don pay the guy to campaign for mosimane
Na God go punish anybody wey Dey mention mosimane to become super eagles coach
No need to ask him if he de smoke! For me oo, pifso mmeso oma, abi wetn be the name this is my first time of hearing the name, how many trophies have he or she won for his country? So just because he is a white we will continue to betta their cvs. When should we start to APPRECIATE OUR OWN”GOODS”? AMUNEKE JOOOOO! HE HAS WONE THE GREEN WHITE GREEN MANY TIMES AS A PLAYER AND COACH! All this oyibo coach doesn’t feal any TENSION when Nigeria is losing for they have nothing to lose, if you sack him you pay him off.
Sunday Oliseh brought a monumental damage to our National team during his short stint with the team, the reason Vincent Enyeama left the team prematurely and Nigeria battled for lack of safe hand as goalkeeper since then, thank God for Pessero that recently discovered Stanley. Erstwhile Captain of the S.E had once remarked that Oliseh has been the worst coach he played under, because of his divisive tendency. Let’s wait and see. All the local coaches, which of them has ever won a continental tournament with the local club they have managed.
you are right
I think NFF should look at the problems and lacuna in the team (like the poor attacking midfield we have) and examine these coaches and see who has solved this kind of problems in their previous teams give it to him.
1. Siasia (I doubt he qualifies for his ban, if not, I think he has good history)
2. Amuneke
3. Opkala is doing well currently
4. why not Findi to see if he’s able to weather the qualifying storm first.
Brother he is certainly a top manager who knows how to win. His records are there. Caf champions league titles 4 or 5 he’s won if am correct. Watched his Al Ahly side match some of the best clubs in the world at the Fifa club world cup. Apart from Siasia and Amunike, all the other names don’t come close. Maybe Ndubisi Egbo can do a decent job. I listened to an interview he did last year and totally agree with his idea of getting nigerian players playing for big european clubs instead playing for mid table teams.
A country with someone like Siasia who took our U20/21 to the finals of the Junior World Cup, defeating major European and South American giants in the process, is groping about looking for a coach for its national team? Who do us like this, a beg?
Siasia should be given a six year contract, while an Interim coach is contracted until August when his ban is lifted, then he takes over.
Please don’t send us back in time and height. if all of these applicants can perform the wonders they claim capable of performing we would have been jobless or banned. they are better sitting down to analyse. the players have mentioned their preference finidi George or Amuneke or go for gourdiola of Manchester City
Who don’t want to see on the list are :
Michael Nsien
1. Samson Siasia
2. Salisu Yusuf
3. Antonio Conceicao
4. Michael Nsien
siasia is under FIFA banned for match fixing
I think Michael Nsien should be given the opportunity since he has wide knowledge concerning job and he’s doing for the USA U’19 team as well.
I think that the NFF should look at the problem like a poor midfield and I think that Emmanuel amunika should be given a chance