OVERSIGHT: Life after Amodu

I find it hard to empathise with former Super Eagles coach, Amodu Shuaibu, over his redeployment to the Super Eagles’ ‘local wing’. He suffers from a cardinal sin: arrogance. His insistence on taking and playing unfit players at the African Cup of Nations has undone him. And the flops (like Yakubu Aiyegbeni , Nwankwo Kanu and Obafemi Martins) have disowned him. When one is of average competence, the last thing one does is to be arrogant. Before the Africa Cup of Nations, I had contended that for him to save his job, the Super Eagles must make the semi-finals. They did but in what manner? Yet, integrity matters. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had also given him a semi-finals target. Given the way Eagles played in Angola, which perhaps satisfied only Amodu’s household, it would have been difficult for NFF to keep him as chief coach.

Nonetheless, his contract has a clause for technical adviser. As such, he should have been allowed to stay and be bossed by a yet-to-be appointed technical adviser.

Does NFF undertake project management? If yes, on what basis did they re-deploy a man who has no faith in the Glo Premier League to train local Super Eagles? This is a fellow who was forced to invite three players from the local league during the pre-Angola camp and he pointed out that they were training materials. And in his nearly two years of stewardship, Amodu did not watch a match in the local league. How will he know the players that deserve to be invited? Perhaps, from scouts and football agents?

Almost every Nigerian has come to the realisation that Amodu needs some education given his overt inadequacies as a coach. Would it not have been better for NFF to send Amodu for at least a six-month coaching course overseas? Nigeria has a small pool of coaches and we need to open their eyes to the latest in their discipline. Amodu’s ineptitude has done severe damage to his coaching colleagues as Nigerians have little faith in our local coaches (except Samson Siasia). And one way to address that issue is to improve their coaching skills.

New technical adviser

On the technical adviser, is he to take us to the World Cup or beyond that target? Did the Presidential Task Force give the NFF a blank cheque to recruit a technical adviser? If not, why the unrealistic search for Guus Hiddink, the manager of Russia who is being paid by Chelsea owner, Roman Abramonovich?

Now that Amodu is off, who’s next? The NFF?

There is a lot that needs to be plugged in football administration. But the outlook is not bright. Not only are the incumbents who plunged us into this precipice and are intent on a second term revolting, but the alternative being offered in Austin Okocha et al is lamentable.

And we are not looking in the direction of developing our young who are talented. Youth development must be the cornerstone of our revival, if ever there will be one.

In an earlier piece, I had offered a reality check to the belief that we harbour world-class players. Amodu is out of the way, but we go nowhere with the present crop of players. Our players are just average. Even in their clubs where they admit they play out their hearts, how well do they perform?

As such, the revival project would be long-term. And it would not be on the watch of Lulu, the president of NFF or the Okocha alternative. The wait is on.