Tensions between Super Eagles assistant coaches, Fidelis Ilechukwu and Daniel Ogunmodede, escalated after a contentious Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match between their respective teams on Sunday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The two young coaches, hailed as rising stars in Nigerian football, have enjoyed successful club careers with Rangers and Remo Stars, finishing first and second last season.
Their success earned them assistant coaching roles with the Nigerian national team during the 2025 AFCON qualifiers in September.
However, their professional relationship took a hit after Ogunmodede’s Remo Stars handed defending champions Rangers their first defeat of the season with a 2-1 victory.
Rangers' head coach, Ilechukwu, expressed his frustration after the game, accusing Ogunmodede and his boys of unsportsmanlike behaviour.
According to Ilechukwu, Remo Stars continued playing rather than returning the ball after Rangers had kicked it out for an injured player.
“Remo Stars is a good team, one of the best in the Nigeria Premier Football League at the moment. But I’m disappointed with Ijaball (Daniel Ogunmodede). In football we have to value humanity,” Ilechukwu said.
He added, “You don’t have to be desperate to win. We played the ball out for a player to get treatment, and he told his players to keep playing instead of passing the ball back to us.
“Yes they want to win the league, but we didn’t win the league this way. We have to have to value humanity first. The league is a marathon, if you don’t win here, you can win elsewhere.
“I don’t want to have to friend who wants to win by all means. He’s a big disappointment.”
Insisting he is not under pressure to retain the title he guided Rangers to win last season, Ilechukwu noted:
“I’m not under pressure. We can still win the league. It is very much open, but I’m talking about fair play. We have to value life, they scored from what should have been a fair play to us.”
Victor on the day, Ogunmodede dismissed the allegations and remained calm in the face of Ilechukwu’s comments.
The Remo Stars gaffer suggested that Ilechukwu’s remarks were influenced by the disappointment of losing.
“What do you expect from someone who just lost a big game?” Ogunmodede asked reporters.
“If he’s happy, then he’s no longer my friend because you have to question his commitment toward his job.
“You expect him to laugh home after a lot of investment and energy. He’s a workaholic and he put a lot of energy into the game.
“Just like I was sad when we lost in Enugu. If he’s happy, then he’s no longer my friend because you have to question his commitment towards his job.
“I was extremely sad when we lost in Enugu, in fact we did not see until I left. But this time, he’s sad, so let him enjoy the sadness. However, it takes nothing away from our friendship.”
Super Eagles interim coach Augustine Eguavoen will hope the two managers can get over their club differences when reporting for national team duty next week.
Ogunmodede and Ilechukwu are expected to reunite on Nigeria’s coaching staff for the upcoming African Cup of Nations qualifying doubleheader against Libya this month.
So the Rangers football coach means there was no referee in that match?
The center referee, should decide an infringement,fair play or a goal…..
So if the referee has declared a goal…..then it should be accepted as a goal..QED
why is illechukwu complaining so bitterly when we have a 77centre referee & 2 assistant referees in the game.
playing a victim card always!