ACTUALITE |
08.08.2002
New Nigeria coach promises results amid mounting disapproval
LAGOS
New Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu on Wednesday vowed to get results amid growing disapproval of his appointment this week.
"We will not disappoint Nigerians," said the 52-year-old Chukwu, who is returning to the post he held eight years ago.
"We know the magnitude of this assignment and we`re prepared to do our best and make Nigerians proud.
"We hope to improve on our outing at the last World Cup and I know we have what it takes to do that," he added.
Under predecessor Adegboye Onigbinde Nigeria failed to go past the first round of the soccer finals in South Korea and Japan.
Officials told AFP that former national team skipper Chukwu bagged a two-year contract with the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) because of his experience.
"He`s a good choice and with everyone`s support he will succeed," said Taiwo Ogunjobi, NFA secretary-general.
However, Chukwu`s appointment has been far from popular here with most experts very critical of his track record as a coach - particularly his short but unsuccessful stint with the Harambee Stars of Kenya.
"I`m not satisfied with his appointment. I have very limited respect for him as a coach," said top sports newspaper publisher Paul Bassey.
"No doubt he was a fantastic footballer but even with his many years of experience as assistant to Clemens Westerhof, I don`t think he has the right credentials to lead the team, more so at a time like this."
"Nigeria need a much more dynamic coach," Bassey added.
Chukwu has been at pains defending his time with Kenya where he was fired barely half-way through his contract after he failed to take them to the 1998 African Nations Cup in Burkina Faso.
"It`s unfortunate that people refer to my period in Kenya as a failure because they are wrong," he said.
"I took Kenya to the COSAFA Cup final and since I left the country their football has been going downhill. I actually lifted Kenyan football."
Local club Enugu Rangers, with whom he won several major honours both as a player and a coach, also showed him the door after the team flopped at last year`s championship play-offs.
In addition, Chukwu`s teams have been criticised for not playing attractive football while he has over the years shown he is not ready to challenge authority.
Observers say Chukwu faces a daunting task at a time Nigerian football is on the decline with a generation of top stars quiting the international scene.
He now must discover worthy replacements for established internationals such as Sunday Oliseh, Finidi George, Tijjani Babangida and Ike Shorunmu.
His first major task would be next month`s 2004 Nations Cup qualifier against Angola for which he is expected to field a full-strength team as the `Super Eagles` aim to book a ticket for the finals in Tunisia.
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