The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has announced that the process for appointing a new head coach for the Super Eagles is nearing completion. He emphasized the importance of being meticulous in selecting the right coach to ensure the decision meets public approval upon announcement.
Gusau revealed that the NFF had initially reached an agreement with Bruno Labbadia to lead the Super Eagles. However, complications arose due to demands from intermediaries, which ultimately derailed the agreement. He assured that the new coach under consideration is expected to elevate the team’s performance.
“Finding a coach for the Super Eagles is a process,” Gusau stated in an interview with NFF TV. “We had nearly finalized an agreement, but the middlemen interfered with demands that we did not agree to. We cannot rush into a decision that will lead to questions and concerns from the public. We are close to finalizing the appointment, and we are committed to selecting a coach who will elevate us to the level we aspire to reach.”
Additionally, Gusau defended the recent appointments within the national team, asserting that merit is the primary criterion for selection. He explained that interim coach Austin Eguavoen was allowed to choose his coaching staff, opting for Fidelis Ilechukwu from Rangers International FC and Daniel Ogunmodede from Remo Stars, whom he described as two of the best young coaches currently in the league.
“When we appointed Augustine Eguavoen on an interim basis, he chose to work with what we believe are the best young coaches in the league,” Gusau said. “No one can dispute their qualifications, as they both deserve to be there.”
He further clarified that the appointment of Aliyu Zubairu as coach was based on recommendations from the NFF’s Technical and Development Committee. Zubairu, who previously led El Kanemi Warriors to a Federation Cup title, was selected for his impressive track record.
“When the technical committee recommended Aliyu Zubairu, we accepted their decision without dispute,” Gusau concluded. “They assessed merit and selected the best candidate based on current form to fulfill our objectives.”
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