Exclusive: How Amodu Lost NFF Grace
Super Eagles outgoing coach, Shuaibu Amodu, stretched his luck with his biggest backers, the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), a little too far and that would lead to his being shown the door.
"He tried to pitch the team against the NFF. That was what put the final nail on his coffin ," a top official told MTNFootball.com.
"Amodu tried to make it look as if it was a question of 'we the coaches and players' on one side against the NFF, when he was allowed to speak his mind after the third-place match against Algeria in Benguela.
"He went as far as telling everybody in the room during the meeting that as far as he was concerned the players who were present are his 'A Squad'. He also dabbled into how the NFF should pay World Cup qualification bonus, saying he has already designed a formula to that effect.
"I can tell you this really took the top NFF officials at the meeting by surprise. The president and his other board members could not just believe what they were hearing from the man."
Another official told MTNFootball.com: "In all fairness, Lulu has really been managing Amodu despite all the criticisms from the press and public added to the man's outright arrogance and petulence.
"There was one case in point - the morning after the match against Benin, which the Eagles barely won 1-0, the president summounded Amodu for a meeting, but you would not believe that Amodu told the person who was directed to call him that the president should know that he could still be sleeping!"
He added, "Lulu did everything to make sure that Amodu was empowered and kept his job. There was a time he even suggested to Amodu that he should go on an overseas refresher course, but the coach told him to forget it unless the federation wish to waste their money."
Lulu stood up to sports minister Sani Ndanusa, who told him in Angola that he has been directed by government that Amodu be sacked. Most probably unknown to the minister, the NFF board had met a few days earlier and agreed that the coach be released from his contract, which ends on July 31.
Lulu's arguement at that time was that Nigeria had only just played two group games and that the target given Amodu was to qualify the team to the semi-finals and until such a time when this target is no longer feasible, the coach should be allowed to get on with his job.
Related News
- Lulu, others thrown into Kuje Prison 09 Sep, 2010 [News]
- Heartland’s ThankGod doubtful for Ahly clash 08 Sep, 2010 [News]
- Why we love to play for Siasia - Apam 08 Sep, 2010 [News]
- Nigeria's Yobo reveals Everton pressure 08 Sep, 2010 [News]
- Etuhu signs new Fulham deal 08 Sep, 2010 [News]
- Agba seeks glory with Tunisia’s Sfaxien 08 Sep, 2010 [News]
- Ex-NFF chiefs get tough bail terms 07 Sep, 2010 [News]
- Debut boy Musa: 'I'm still dreaming!' 07 Sep, 2010 [News]
- Ex-NFF chiefs to face corruption charges 07 Sep, 2010 [News]
- Freed Shittu reveals new club next week 07 Sep, 2010 [News]
Cameroon
Egypt
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
South Africa
It is an irony that when many World Cup finalists are busy preparing to engage each other pre-WC matches, even an Africa side: Cote d'Ivoire is scheduled to lock horns with South Korea in a friendly international meet billed for showing at Loftus Road in London come March 3), the Nigerian Football Federation are busying themselves with having to choose another coach and possibly another team, while the clock speedily ticks away.
One just wonders what the Technical committee had been doing ever since it became obvious to them and the generality of 150million followers in the country that, the former coaching crew are going to be shown the door.
One expected the technical egg-heads to have fast-tracked the processes. Or are they waiting the eleventh hour, only to to come up with DISASTRIOUS PACKAGES as they had been branded to be doing in the past?
To ensure that the NFF step-on the process, a review of other local coaches could be brought in to work under the proposed new foreign coach. We recalled that the NFF informed the former coach and his assistants of their decision to be sacked way back in Benguela.
We were also reliably informed that, the group of elsewhile coaching crew were fully briefed about the decision to be taken against them and the team to the World Cup. So, none of us ought to be shocked by the decision of the NFF board on Friday in Abuja.
However, the NFF should by now wake-up fully to its responsiblities of ensuring an improvement over their recent past-undertakings, by producing a world-class coaching crew and a world-class team, to represent the country.
Wishing all-concerned Godspeed!
Shuaibu Amodu is not the best for Nigeria...
Shehata will have a language barrier thus not communicate effectively.
Shop elsewhere.
Amodu should be sacked, bcos amodu lack motivation he doesnt hv d tactics to encourage players. To be sincere we need another coach frm nigeria.
Certainly i knw Amodu will go that not d issue i want to comment on. By now, i think we shuld b talking about how to move our football foward. In d sense that whoever is contracted to lead d Super Eagles, should start immediately by going to our league and get d best and committed players nd start training with them( this boys should be paid) pending when Our big boys will be tru with their clubs. And then bring them together in other to get a formidable team, strikers from our league i believe can score goals if they were taken to nations cup. If Ghana can go as far as gettn to d final then with this combination and Gods help, i see Nigeria lifting the world Cup.
What else would you expect from a confederation that could only "beg" their indegenous coaches to go for a refreshing courses, rather than "mandate" them.
Besides. NFA should sidetrack sentiments. pity and personal agrandisement when the enthusiasm of over 150 million fans and tax payer's money are at stake.
Nigerian coaches should see the need to be "refrehed" at the international level, so that they can be able to measure even in the world cup standards.
Izuzu, Eberegbulam
Lagos.
{message}