ACTUALITE |
15.06.2002
Nigeria coach Onigbinde redeployed
LAGOS
Nigeria coach Adegboye Onigbinde has been asked to return to his post as technical director of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) after the team failed to go beyond the first round of the tournament, press reports said Friday.
The Champion newspaper reported that sports minister Stephen Akiga ordered the redeployment of the 64-year-old former school teacher before the team departed Japan for home.
"We have not sacked him (Onigbinde). He was drafted to the Eagles for the World Cup and since the World Cup is over for Nigeria, we have to begin preparations for the next World Cup," the paper quoted an unnamed official.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the second phase of the World Cup after they lost to Argentina and Sweden and drew with England in group matches.
Onigbinde was named Nigeria coach in February after Shaibu Amodu was fired following a disappointing African Nations Cup campaign in Mali.
The team have been divided over what should be the future of the coach.
Former captain Sunday Oliseh, who was dropped by Onigbinde for the World Cup, has called for his sacking while several other players like Julius Aghahowa, Celestine Babayaro and Benedict Akwuegbu said he should be retained.
"Onigbinde is a super coach. He did a great job considering the short time he had to prepare the team for a major tournament like the World Cup," Akwuegbu told AFP Friday.
"He deserves to keep his job."
The daily sports paper Complete Sports also reported that the five other coaches attached to the team at the World Cup were also affected by the changes.
Assistant coach Fanny Amun will also return to the technical department as Onigbinde`s assistant while Godwin Uwua has been appointed coach of the country`s Under-23 team.
The three other coaches, Ben Duamlong, Mike Ekpenyong and Henry Nwosu, were thanked for their service and released.
The redeployment of Onigbinde to the NFA is widely seen as a prelude to the employment of a foreign coach whose immediate task would be to prepare the team for the qualifying rounds of the 2004 African Nations Cup.
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Hits: 1 | Source:Dailysoccer | |
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