By Obiako Chris Okechukwu on July 23, 2026

CAN NIGERIA, NAY AFRICA, BORROW A LEAF FROM SPAIN?

Spain are the 2026 FIFA World Cup champions. While demistifying the myth surrounding Lionel Messi and his Argentina team mates, La Roja proved that through tactical brilliance, collective discipline and defensive perfection, football beats superstardom everytime.  

Before we move further, it's important that we glance through the profile of the man behind Spain's success story. Who else than 65-year-old Luis de la Fuente?

He's the 21st manager to lift the World Cup after guiding La Roja to defeat Argentina 1-0 in the finals of the 2026 World Cup played at the Metlife Stadium in the US.

De la Fuente was a former player and a left back. Between 1978 and 1979 he played for Spain's U-18. He had four appearances. He equally had four appearances with Spain's U-21 side between 1982 and 1984. In 1988, he was a member of Spain's Olympics squad.

His coaching career which started in 1997 with Portugalete, saw him handle other clubs like Athletic Bilbao and Alaves, among others

Between 2013 and 2018, he was coach of Spain's U-19. He was later elevated to handled the country's U-21 side between 2018 and 2022. In between, he was handed the Spain's Olympics team in 2021 shuttling both the U-21 and Olympics sqauds.

By 2022, he was appointed the Head coach of La Roja.. He won the Euro in 2024 and two years on, he led the same team to winning the World Cup, thus becoming the second coach from Spain after Vicente del Bosque to lift the World Cup.

LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH PLAYERS THAT PAID OFF

When Luis De La Fuente won the U19 European Championship in 2015 he did it with Rodri, Unai Simon and Mikel Merino.

In 2019 when he won the Euro U21, he coached Dani Olmo, Fabian Ruiz, Mike Oyarzabal, Unai Simon, Mikel Merino, Ferran Torres.

Then in 2020 he coached the Spanish team to silver in the Tokyo Olympics. That team had Zubimendi, Cucurella, Pau Torres, Eric Garcia, Pedri. 

This is a typical example of a man who knows his players and knows his team. He taught them as boys and has now guided them (as men) to glory in football's greatest stage.

WHEN WILL NIGERIA/AFRICA GET IT RIGHT?

 Can a coach from Africa be accorded the time, facilities, resources, and the patience over a ten year period to prepare a dynamic team who can hold their head high against European, Asian and South/North American opponents?

Can Nigeria/Africa establish a shared identity across the entire national-team system, from the youth side to the senior squad as part of a five to ten-year reconstruction process? 

THE FOREIGN COACH 'CURSE'

It's entirely a mystery, but it's the truth: ALL 21 coaches who had succeeded in lifting football's greatest prize, FIFA World Cup trophy, had been local coaches. Several top-rated coaches from across the world have arrived the Mundial with high expectations, but crashed along the way.

Carlo Ancelloti, a thorough-bred elite coach - the only man to win league titles in Europe's top five leagues, the only man to have led clubs to six Champion League finals, and won it FIVE times. But with five-time World Cup winners, Brazil, in the just-concluded World Cup, he fell like a pack of cards. The same can be said of Thomas Tuchel, who had gone round Europe and coached several top-rated clubs. England, while hiring the German told everyone who cared to listen that the UEFA Champions winner will facilitate the 'football is coming home' dream. But all Tuchel could offer the Three Lions was bronze.

So, the beat goes on. The question still remains, when will a foreign coach lift the FIFA World Cup trophy?

LIST OF LOCAL COACHES WHO HAVE CONQUERED THE WORLD

●Alberto Suppici (Uruguay, 1930)

●Vittorio Pozzo (Italy, 1934)

●Vittorio Pozzo (Italy, 1938)

●Juan López (Uruguay, 1950)

●Vicente Feola (Brazil, 1958)

●Aymoré Moreira (Brazil, 1962)

●Alf Ramsey (England, 1966)

●Mário Zagallo (Brazil, 1970)

●Helmut Schön (West Germany, 1974)

●César Luis Menotti (Argentina, 1978)

●Enzo Bearzot (Italy, 1982)

●Carlos Bilardo (Argentina, 1986)

●Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany, 1990)

●Carlos Alberto Parreira (Brazil, 1994)

●Aimé Jacquet (France, 1998)

●Luiz Felipe Scolari (Brazil, 2002)

●Marcello Lippi (Italy, 2006)

●Vicente del Bosque (Spain, 2010)

.Joachim Löw (Germany, 2014)

●Didier Deschamps (France, 2018)

●Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, 2022)

●Luis de la Fuente (Spain 2026)

WHAT MANNER OF PLAYERS ARE THESE?

The impression we are given is that Lionel Messi represents glory, honour and peace. We're also meant to believe that his Argentina team mates are saints. We're told that they're more Catholic than the Pope.

Bizarrely, it took a humiliating defeat in the hands of 'small, small boys' from Spain for the widely-held false beliefs to be clarified. It was simply disgusting and despicable to watch Argentina's Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada - who were at the center of the post-match melee - shoving, pushing, grabbing, and kicking Spanish players - including Eric Garcia and Gavi - to the turf right after the final whistle. Additionally, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada were involved in physical altercations and scuffles on the pitch.

Now, we're told that FIFA have commenced investigation, and the possibility of potential player suspensions are feasible.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Source Daily sports Nigeria

Posted July 23, 2026

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