Prioritise Nigerian as next Super Eagles manager, Odegbami tells NFF

Super Eagles legend Segun Odegbami has advised the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to prioritise appointing a local head coach for the Nigerian men’s national team.

Odegbami’s comments comes after the NFF announced a vacancy for the position of the Super Eagles Head coach and coach for the Golden Eaglets (U-17 team). The local football governing body welcomed applications from every corner of the world.

“Nigeria must now place her destiny in the hands of qualified and patriotic Nigerians,” Odegbami wrote in his column in Complete Sports.

The Super Eagles last manager Jose Peseiro at the expiration of this contract announced his departure from the role on March 1, barely 20 days after leading the three-time African champions to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.

With the departure of the Portuguese, multiple sources claimed the NFF were eyeing the return of Austin Eguavoen as caretaker manager, but as things stand, the ex-Bendel Insurance manager is more distant from rejoining the team than he’s close.

Reacting to the NFF’s announcement, Odegbami charged the NFF to only consider the applications of top Nigerian managers, claiming it’s better to be saved or destroyed by compatriots.

“The Super Eagles must carry the banner of Nigeria proudly and without any dilution of its spirit to achieve ultimate greatness in the world,” the 1980 AFCON top scorer wrote.

“The coach of the Super Eagles must wear the country’s ambition like a cloak.

“If the price of the elevation of Nigeria and the emancipation of the Black Race is that we ‘lose’ now to gain experience and eventual success, we must pay that price. That is the route to go.

“No more foreign coaches in Nigeria! Let us sink or swim with Nigerians, even in football!” Odegbami concluded.

The late Stephen Keshi remains the only Nigerian to have won an AFCON trophy for Nigeria. The Super Eagles triumphs in 1980 and 1994 editions of the tournament were masterminded by Brazilian manager Otto Gloria and Dutch manager Clemens Westerhof respectively.