Official: Bayelsa United stun fans with Ladan Bosso appointment amid U-23 team rumours

Nigerian Premier League side Bayelsa United have announced the appointment of former Flying Eagles coach Ladan Bosso as their new technical director, Soccernet.ng reports.

Bosso is one of the most experienced coaches in Nigerian football. He has been working with the Nigeria Football Federation since 2007, when he was appointed as coach of the under-20 national team.

As coach of the Flying Eagles, Bosso led the Flying Eagles to a quarter-final finish at the 2007 under-20 World Cup. However, he was dismissed in 2009 after a series of disappointing results.

The 53-year-old then went into management in the local league. He has stints at Kano Pillars, Wikki Tourists, Bayelsa United, Abia Warriors, and El Kanemi Warriors before returning as Flying Eagles coach in 2020. Still, Bosso did not impressed as coach of the under-20. The team failed to qualify from their group at the last All African Games, and they crashed out in the quarterfinals of the last World Cup.

Since March the under-20 team has been inactive. On Tuesday, a report came out that the NFF had promoted Bosso to become coach of the under-23 team.

However, the former El Kanemi boss debunked those talks in an interview with Soccernet.ng. Then, barely hours later, NPFL side Bayelsa United announced that Bosso had signed a new contract with them.

Bosso will be looking to help Bayelsa United secure a good finish in the NPFL next season. Meanwhile, the NFF are yet to announce a new coach for the under-20 and under-23 teams.