The embattled Super Eagles coach, Shuaibu Amodu, can at last sleep with two eyes closed, as support came yesterday from his employer that his job is safe.
Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) president Sani Lulu yesterday said “We appreciate, that as a result of Nigeria’s qualification for the 2010 African Nations Cup and World Cup finals, there is bound to be extensive debate over certain issues. But the NFF wishes to make clear that there is no vacancy for the Head Coach’s position. We have followed the raging debate over a new Head Coach or whatever and we find it necessary to make this clarification.”
Appreciating Amodu
There has been a consensus that the Eagles’ performance under Amodu has been anything but inspiring, and, as reported by NEXTSports, members of the Presidential Task Force on 2010 World Cup had written off Amodu.
NEXTSports also reported that the NFF is backing the embattled coach - which has now been confirmed. “Coaching, as in most sectors of football, has to do with results,” said a statement from the NFF. “Let us forget the sound and fury and work with statistics. In his 15 years in and out of the senior team as Head Coach, Shuaibu Amodu has lost only one competitive match. In 12 matches, during qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, he won nine and drew three, losing none. It is time that we start appreciating what we have as a people.
This is the re-branding that the federal government is talking about. It is hard to find a man with such record in today’s international game, and who has also qualified his country for the FIFA World Cup on two occasions, not even talking about Amodu’s feat in earning us our first berth in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. We made a pledge to stick by Amodu and we will not go back now. Remarkably, some of those championing the debate are ex-players who were never even good enough to wear the country’s colours during their time!”
According to the NFF’s head of media, Ademola Olajire, Mr. Lulu made it clear that Wednesday’s meeting of the NFF Executive Committee will deliberate on how Nigeria can participate creditably at next year’s African Nations Cup and World Cup finals, as well as in other international engagements.
Amodu, who also qualified Nigeria for the 2002 World Cup finals by leading the Eagles to win their last three matches of an otherwise floundering campaign, attended Friday’s African Nations Cup Draw ceremony in Luanda, Angola.
The Eagles are housed in Group C against defending champions Egypt, Mozambique and Benin Republic in the group phase. Nigeria will play Cup holders Egypt in the opening match of Group C in Benguela with games against neighbours Benin Republic and World Cup qualifying foes Mozambique to follow.
The road to Angola
The match against Mozambique will take place in Lubango, which is 692 kilometres from the capital Luanda. There is poor land transportation in the country devastated by three decades of civil war, and where infrastructure has largely collapsed. There is a big race to get key issues like stadia, airports and hospitals ready for the finals and basic things are in short supply despite oil money.
Benguela is a city of 1.4 million people while Lubango is a city of 2.6 million inhabitants. The Benguela Stadium has capacity for 35,000 people while the Lubango Stadium can hold 20,000.
Already, the Nigeria Embassy in Luanda has begun mobilising the approximately 5,000 Nigerians living in Angola to be ready to travel to Benguela and Lubango to support the Super Eagles in January. Nigeria’s first match is against Egypt on January 12, with the game against Benin Republic coming up four days later and that against Mozambique scheduled for Lubango on January 20.
Meanwhile, the captain of the Mozambican national side, Manuel Bucuane, better known as Tico-Tico, believes the Mambas will be out to cause an upset against the Super Eagles and the Pharaohs at the Nations Cup.
The South African based player, who grabbed the all-important goal that earned the Mambas a crucial 1-0 victory over Tunisia on November 14, is banking on determination and, to a lesser or greater extent, the element of surprise, to see his side through to the next round at the expense of either Nigeria or defending champions Egypt as they get set to compete at their first Nations Cup since Burkina Faso ‘98.
Mozambique talks tough
“Many didn’t give us a chance against Nigeria and Tunisia in the qualifiers but we held our own against those teams and proved to everyone that we weren’t a team to be taken for granted,” said the forward with reference to the 2010 World Cup qualifiers where the Mambas came up against Nigeria and Tunisia. “I don’t think anyone will underestimate us in Angola but if they do it will be to our advantage because we intend to pull off a surprise or two before the end of the tournament.
“We met Nigeria twice and I don’t think they were praying to meet us again, but if we play to our potentials and with some luck we can surprise all the teams in our group,” added the 36 year old, who along with 32 year old Dario Monteiro are the only players in the present Mambas side to have played at the Nations Cup.
The Mambas will commence their campaign at Angola 2010 with a game against Benin on January 12 before taking on the tournament’s defending champions Egypt four days later. They will then conclude their first round games with a date against the Super Eagles on January 20, and Tico-Tico hopes qualification for the knockout rounds would have been guaranteed before then.
“Hopefully, we would have done enough to qualify before that match,” he continued, “but if that isn’t the case and we need it to qualify, then we will do what we have to do,” he added.
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