With the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) expected to advertise the positions of head coaches and assistant coaches of most of the national teams, the football house may have concluded plans to do away with the current technical crew of the affected teams.
The change is not coming as a surprise following the poor performances of the teams at recent international competitions.
The biggest casualty will be Imama Amapakabo who failed to qualify the Under 23 men’s team to next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. He also failed to qualify the home-based Eagles for the Championship of African Nation (CHAN) which takes place in Cameroun next year, while he also crashed out of the WAFU Cup in Senegal in the first round.
Also, expected to lose his job is Coach Manu Garba, who failed to propel the Under 17 male team beyond the second round at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil as the Eaglets lost 3-1 to a tactically and technically disciplined Dutch team in the second round.
Coach Paul Aigbogun will also vacate his post as the Under 20 men’s team after failing to lead his team beyond the second round at the FIFA World Cup in Poland.
The NFF are hoping that competent and qualified persons to apply will apply for the position.
NFF Technical Department, Bitrus Bewarang yesterday in Abuja, said the decision to declare the positions vacant was due to the expiration of coaches’ contracts which ends with a specific national assignment. He also added that the Head Coach of Super Eagles Gernot Rohr will not be affected as his contract with the football house runs till June 30, 2020.
“You know it is normal to appoint national team coaches because very soon the qualifiers will start for both CAF/FIFA competitions. Mostly all the junior national teams will be involved so we must start the process of engaging new handlers. I know we have not done well in the competitions we entered for this year but I assure you that very soon things will change,” Bewarang said.
Other national teams that are affected are the U-17 and U-20 Women and Senior Women Team Super Falcons which the former handler Thomas Dennerby resigned his appointment sighting interference by the glasshouse.
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The coaching position of Super Sand Eagles is also up for grabs as the team recorded its worst outing in the history of Nigeria’s participation at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, losing all their group games to crash out of this year’s tournament.