AFCON 2017: Super Eagles Ouster And The Arguments

For/Against A Foreign Coach.

The ouster of the Super Eagles of Nigeria from the 2017 Africa
Cup of Nations has expectedly received widespread criticism, and
has sparked off a public debate about the way forward.
Before the two games against Egypt home and away, such was
the hype and optimism that most Nigerian fans were already
seeing themselves in Gabon 2017.
It is often said that almost the entire population of about 170
million Nigerians are backseat football coaches, and in all the prematch analyses, not many of them, if any, saw defeat coming
their way in either match against the Pharaohs.
Anyone who attempted a prediction was emphatic about a home
victory for the Super Eagles and at least a draw in the reverse
fixture. And it was very nearly so! Who then could have thought
that the Egyptians would come from a goal down to score a
stinging equalizer in Kaduna in time added?
In the end and much to everyones disappointment, the Super
Eagles, despite their swashbuckling confidence, despite their skill
and determination, drew the home match they should have won,
and lost the reverse fixture they should at least have drawn.
Some football analysts have blamed it on hard luck, and they
probably have a point. Otherwise why would a loose ball and a
loose touch weave its way through a forest of legs and beat the
goalkeeper to put the Egyptians in the lead; while on the other
side, a powerful, well-directed, left-footed strike by Victor Moses
could only hit the upright and rooooll along the goal line and
then out, instead of crossing it for a lifesaving equalizer? At least,
that would have kept hope alive.

Other soccer pundits cite such factors as incompetence and

maladministration of the Football Federation as responsible for
the failure.
In three matches, we had three coaches and three captains. How
can we perform well in such a turbulent environment?
Onyebuchi, a sports analyst, queries.
To illustrate his point, we recall that in the qualifier against Chad,
Stephen Keshi was the coach and Vincent Enyeama was the
captain of the team.
Against Tanzania, Sunday Oliseh was coach and Ahmed Musa
captain.
And most recently against Egypt, it was Samson Siasia and Mikel
Obi as coach and captain respectively.
With such major inconsistencies, analysts argue, failure is
inevitable.
After the defeat by Egypt, a former coach of the Super Eagles,
Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, was quoted to have said, It will be
wrong to blame the present crop of coaches and players. We did
not lose the match this evening. It was lost decades ago. We have
consistently failed in our developmental programmes.
As an analogy, observers say, it would be wrong to complain that
there are no trees in the garden if there were no efforts made to
plant trees about a decade ago.
Meanwhile, arguments are now being put forward for and against
a foreign coach for the Super Eagles.
The ayes are of the view that a foreign coach will command the
respect of both the players and football administrators. He will
not, they say, experience salary delays and will have little

difficulty receiving the support and facilities needed for a good

job.
Jonathan Akpoborie, a one-time Super Eagles player, while
speaking on a television programme, explained, Coaching
certificates issued abroad have expiry dates, and require renewal
by updating the holders knowledge; but, here, it appears to be a
one-off. In other words, he implies, our coaches do not keep
abreast of developments in the game.
The nays, on the other hand, express the view that past
experiences with foreign coaches were not encouraging. We have
had the likes of Berti Vogts, Lars Lagerback, etc, most of whom,
they argue, did little to turn round the football fortunes of the
country. Most of them could not take the team beyond the first
round of the World Cup. So engaging another foreign coach is like
firing a shot in the dark, unsure of the target.
There is no gainsaying the fact that all the arguments for and
against have the nations best interests at heart, and are geared
towards moving the countrys football forward. However, it is
noteworthy that countries like Brazil, Germany, Italy and
Argentina, who have won the World Cup more than any other
country in the world, did so mostly, if not all, with indigenous
coaches. Engaging and encouraging indigenous coaches
consistently is a sure way to enhance performance and develop
the nations football.
Secondly, the state of the economy and the drive for homegrown
solutions to our problems underscore the need to look inwards.
The Football Federation has often been accused of delayed
fulfillment of financial obligations to indigenous coaches. If 5
million naira monthly pay to an indigenous coach was a problem,
what would then happen if a foreign coach was engaged for
50,000 dollars (about 10 million naira)?

The opinion of the majority is that Samson Siasia and his team
performed extremely well, considering the short time they spent
together. Furthermore, an indigenous coach with patriotic zeal will
be hungrier for success, knowing that his countrys image is at
stake, than a visitor whose only interest is to work and get paid,
protected by FIFA statutes on contractual obligations.
The qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup are approaching very
fast. Whatever the merits of a foreign coach, there is hardly
enough time for a completely new coach to familiarize himself
with both the players and the Nigerian football politicswhich of
course is necessarybefore getting down to brass tacks.
In view of the time constraints and the urgent need to prepare
and qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, it may be necessary to
consider the continuity option and avoid the needless, timewasting re-discovery and experimental re-alignment of players by
a new coach.