By Daily Sports on January 1, 1970

Super Eagles interim coach, Austin Eguavoen, has released the 28-man team list of players that would camp for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations football summit to be held in Cameroun from January.

The list, though not that different from the Gernot Rohr’s over these odd years he held forth, has three players Amaju Pinnick specially held meeting with the Coach, of which if the boys are cleared and declared eligible to feature for Nigeria, will lace their boots and debut for Africa’s most preferred and sought-after football tournament in the continent.

This columnist will not bother you with the list here as it is already in the public domain including www.dailysportsng.com portal. We pray for optimum performance for our flagship team as the championship kicks-off.

As that is being kept in view till January 2022 date, the very thing on the front burner, as it concerns the team, is the hiring of a foreign technical man the NFF and Jose Mourinho, former popular Chelsea FC of England handler is doing with Amaju Pinnick and company.

In other climes, the business of football is being done in the public, especially when it comes to the engagement of a coach. But in Nigeria, it is not same. Some people, especially since Amaju Pinnick came on stage, such business has been made private. He tells those he deems fit to, not minding that he is not conducting his personal business but that of Nigerians and the money that the coach would be paid is also that of Nigerians too.

Keen followers can attest to how the last one he smuggled in through the back turned out, leaving bitter tastes in our mouths. He is at it again. This time, a Portuguese, Jose Vitor Dos Santos Peseiro found, packaged sealed and then about to be delivered by controversial Jose Mourinho will berth in Nigeria anytime soonest.

What we have been dealing with here (I meant football arena) in administrative level is Amaju Pinnick’s chronic and unrepentant arrogance. It does not matter to him. His panache in looking down on people is in-born and he has no apology for anybody. In short he does not care a hoot whose ox is gored.

Like his usual self, he strolled into Lagos last week, gathered his sports writers’ friends and told them about this deal of a Portuguese handler for the Super Eagles, finish! It is the way football business is conducted or carried out since he ascended the throne. No condition is Permanent. Head or tail, soldier go, soldier come, barracks will never be empty.

For the records, he tried to do same in CAF and it nearly consumed him but for the intervention of certain notables in African football circle, retired and serving, otherwise, he would have been a goner. I anchor that on this.

The nitty-gritty, if you like suspense, is always or has become the hallmark or other name for the intrigues that herald or resurfaces whenever the search for the Super Eagles head coach beckons, the stakes remain high despite the pattern Amaju Pinnick and his co-travelers wanted it this time.

As discussed in this Column last week, the play is on or if you like the football is already on flight. Amaju Pinnick whose other name is a Cat with Nine Lives is at it again and like the fox, he is trying to outsmart even the 247 keener watchers of the Nigerian football terrain and the contract for who will succeed the Franco-Germany technical head recently booted out of the Super Eagles as head coach has been sealed, about being delivered if things go as planned. And the man will be Jose Peseiro, a Portuguese and coach of Venezuela. He is widely reported to be on the radar or on hand for the plum job, to head the technical crew of the Super Eagles any moment from now.

According to unconfirmed reports though, the incoming Super Eagles supremo was recruited or secured by  former Chelsea handler, loud-mouthed dramatist, Jose Mourinho, as he has been reported to likely be on hand for the unveiling of the Super Eagles new head Coach this week, if all things would ever be equal.

The NFF has already picked the bill of Jose Mourinho to be on the front row the day the Portuguese coach would be unveiled to add colour to the ceremony; Don’t forget that Mourinho recommended him to the NFF.

We have been told the coach will not be in charge in Cameroun AFCON starting next month but would be there to see things for himself and may be giving some technical tips to Austin Eguavoen and team from the bench.

Details of the contract were not yet known, however, he is in much more higher grade than what  Gernot Rohr earned. Much more according to the usual dependable source because much is expected from him also; not the kind the immediate past head coach cannot push because of his limited technical deficits.  Again, followers of Super Eagles team said the antecedents of the possibly new helmsman for the team are not much known except that he was recommended and also handed over to the NFF by Jose Mourinho who described him as excellent sweat merchant.

Peseiro would be fully in charge during the World Cup play offs. It would be recalled that Nigeria’s apex football governing body head, Amaju Pinnick, had some sort confirmed this discourse last week in a national television during a sports programme.

There has been this hide-and-seek on the part of the NFF on this issue.  In short, the body contracted this out to Jose Mourinho, little wonder therefore Amaju Pinnick was up in arms against Sports Minister’s suggestion that Emmanuel Amuneke should be in charge.

The cat is now out of the bag. If you like, the hen would come home to roost soon. Truth is that this search has been on even while Rohr was still hanging on in the Eagles. One is not quarreling with the hiring of a new coach for the Eagles; however, my point has been that a Grade A coach with vision, capacity, technical and tactical knowhow must be in charge this time.

It is only the above that would be great and good enough for Nigerian football at the Super Eagles level. Whoever that is recommending one for the NFF, such fellow must have pedigree of all-time high, practically; that is what football is all about.

We have had our hard earned money wasted on Grade C foreign coaches, the worst being Gernot Rohr who Amaju Pinnick and his co-spoilers brought in through the back door and the resultant effect of his worst and patch-patch works in the past years would continue to leave soured taste in the mouth.

It remains many steps backwards in Nigerian football at that level ever witnessed in recent time. It was scandalous, to say the very least; as many minnows of both World and African football have started embarrassing the Super Eagles. The Cape Verde challenge right inside Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, the other time left much to be desired, hence the quick but belated move that sacked Gernot Rohr.

Truth remains constant that if Amaju Pinnick has kept Rohr a day longer than necessary, it would not have been funny. He saw it coming and ran for this safety. The move that is bringing in the new Portuguese coach for the Eagles is not open and transparent. We must not lose sight of that and mark it whatever is leading to the engagement of Jose Paseiro as Eagles handler, we are yet to be told.

Nigerians and other football pundits insist that this time, our scare foreign exchange must not be a wasted like was the case of Rohr. The immediate past coach did not bring anything to the table. Rohr did not add any value than bringing in different set of players every match which never gave him time to settle down and vividly work on the boys on ground.

One hopes that this incoming man will be different and productive. Again, how far he knew Nigerian players remains to be told. We are earnestly looking forward to a more productive days and years under his watch. Eagles must fly this time. We are tired of holding our hearts on our hands whenever the Eagles are playing against opponents, either on home soil, away ground or tournaments.

This Jose Mourinho’s recommended man must deliver. He must be one full and filled with modern football ideas that are result-oriented and rapidly mobile too.

What will make Super Eagles work or fly high again will be the best for the numerous fans home and abroad. Nigerians fans will not hesitate stone those concerned on this yet another Super Eagles technical adviser project if the new expected man turns a yet another lame duck, full of loud mouths.

Action-oriented and upwardly mobile coach that would turn the fortunes of this talented team, peopled with quick silver-like players we want and yearn for.  No more, no less.

He will be introduced to Nigeria via the media any moment from now and the deal closed.

www.dailysportng.com will, as usual, be on top of the game for our numerous readers. Keep shooting hard till next week, as the struggle continues!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 27, 2021

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