Aren’t we paying the wrong man for the right job?
(A piece for all lovers of The Super Eagles of Nigeria.)
As a sport enthusiast and ardent lover of the national team, I tried hard to mollify myself as I watched the Guineans jubilate their victory over the CHAN Eagles. The pain of seeing my team crash out was difficult to subdue but however, it impelled some thoughts and reminded me of a notable quotation from Sunday Oliseh, the Chief Coach, a while back.
Since the CHAN Eagles (Super Eagles Team B), was ousted by the Guinean local based players in Rwanda, the question of, if the Chief Coach, Sunday Oliseh, is the right man for the job is seriously begging for answers.
Although, it may not be ideal to make this comparison, but I still feel it is imperative to bring to the forefront, a light comparison of the immediate predecessor and successor.
Stephen Keshi, former Mali and Nigeria Coach, managed the Super Eagles of Nigeria after he surprisingly took Togo to the world cup tourney in 2006 hosted by Germany. owing to this epic feat, The Nigeria Football Federation offered him the job of the chief coach and he led the team to winning her long awaited African Cup of Nations in 2013 and also won bronze in the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) without keeping the Nation waiting unnecessarily.
Stephen Keshi was later sacked for allegedly applying for the vacant coaching job of Ivory Coast National team, not showing commitment to the team and not achieving the Federation's objectives as set out in the coach's employment contract.
On the 15th of July 2015, the NFF officially unveiled Sunday Oliseh as the Coach of the Super Eagles and interestingly, he was labeled “the Guardiola of African Football" by the president of the Federation. This nomenclature from such authority, I assume, to the general public, must have been a reflection of hope and improvement in the national team’s performance, going by the record a