Nigeria:Coaches Wants Open Plain Ground For Vogt JOb

As Nigeria begins search for a new manager to return the Super Eagles to winning ways, the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has been urged to advertise the position for all competent coaches to try their lucks.
Against a backdrop of rash calls to limit the post to only indigenous ex-internationals, Austin Akosa, a former president of Nigerian Football Coaches’ Association insisted yesterday that such move is bound to be counter productive.
“There should be no sentiments over this matter. For Nigeria to get the best hand to replace Berti Vogts, we cannot limit the search to only ex players or indigenous coaches alone. Let who ever thinks he is good enough fly down to Abuja at his own expense to apply for the job,” stressed the light complexioned CAF match commissioner.
Akosa insisted that it did not matter whether Philippe Scolari, Louis van Gaal or even a Jose Mourinho was interested in the job. “What matters now for Nigerian football is to get the best hand available for the job.”
He attributed Vogts’ failure to the inability of the German to adapt to the reality of African football as well as the peculiar clime in which football is managed in the country.
“Vogts is a straight forward coach, very typical German. He was able to instil some form of discipline in the team but did not understand properly the mentality of the African player and how to bring out the best in him. As a former German player, his failure has sort of rubbished calls to limit our search to only former players,” observed the former coaches’ boss.
Already, one of the foremost Nigerian coaches Adegboye Onigbinde has ruled himself out of applying for the vacant job.
The Modakeke high chief said yesterday that if the NFA chiefs are interested in him they know how to reach him. “Besides, NFA have my CV and can always call me if they want me to assist but not me applying for the job as if I am looking for what to eat,” stressed Onigbinde who twice led the senior national team in 1984 and 2002. Apart from leading Trinidad and Tobago as head coach, he is a member of CAF/FIFA Technical Study group.