The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Amodu

  • James Peters praises Amodu’s appointment

    James Peters praises Amodu’s appointment

    Former Secretary-General of technical at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), James Peters has hailed the sacking of Stephen Keshi and the appointment of Amodu Shuaibu as the interim coach of the Super Eagles.

    2013 Africa Cup of Nations winning coach, Keshi was relieved of his duties  on Thursday after a string of poor results, even though the African champions revived their qualification chances with a 3-1 win over Sudan on Wednesday.

    And Peters, who was appointed as deputy national technical director to assist Amodu Shuaibu last year by former NFF President Aminu Maigari, believes the appointment of Shuaibu is the right thing.

    “It is a welcome development, the appointment of Amodu Shuaibu as the next Super Eagles coach. The team wasn’t doing well and we needed a direction from an experienced coach like Shuaibu, and that is what we have gotten.

    “He has the experience and the character to lead the Eagles and qualify us for the Nations Cup, even though it’s a temporary appointment,” he said.

    Amodu, a former Super Eagles head coach on three different occasions, will take charge of Nigeria’s last qualifying matches against Congo and South Africa but knows that he will not be retained, even if he leads the country to next year’s AFCON.

    He helped Nigeria qualify for the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan after a difficult start to the qualifying campaign under Jo Bonfere, but was sacked with his then assistant Stephen Keshi before the World Cup.

    And he was also sacked before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa despite helping his country qualify.

  • Amodu, Oliseh in line for Eagles job

    Amodu, Oliseh in line for Eagles job

    Former coach Shuaibu Amodu and ex-captain Sunday Oliseh are in the front running to replace Stephen Keshi in the short and long-term, KickOffNigeria.com understands.

    Keshi, whose contract as Nigeria coach lapsed with the country’s elimination from the World Cup, has not been offered a new deal and is not likely to be, despite reports to the contrary.

    Instead, Technical Director Shuaibu Amodu, who has had three spells as Nigeria coach, is expected to be put in temporary charge while the NFF shops for a replacement.

    The first name being considered is former captain Oliseh. Despite his limited experience, NFF bosses have been impressed with his knowledge of the game and his name came up for discussion immediately news of Keshi’s stepping down became public.

    Top NFF officials however told KickOffNigeria.com that nothing had been decided yet, and the Federation will take its time in picking a suitable replacement.

    What is certain, however, is that the relationship between Keshi and the NFF is fractured almost beyond repair.

    The last straw was the coach’s announcement of his resignation without first informing the NFF as a courtesy.

  • Amodu wants car, house

    Amodu wants car, house

    Nigeria technical director Amodu Shaibu has asked to be provided with a car and a house as part of conditions for his job.

    The former Eagles coach, who was a guest of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday, said:

    “There were some grey areas that needed to be resolved before I started work. You know I am a consultant for the Edo State government for youths and sports development and I needed to inform my comrade Governor Adams Oshiomole about the appointment from the NFF as a matter of respect and honour to a man who gave me succour.

    “And now that he has given me the go ahead, I thought it right to return to the Federation and inform them that I am ready to resume duty. However, I only gave them two conditions. Since I have taken appointments in the last 20 years I have had an official car, so it would not be too much for them to give me an official car and a house to discharge my duties. So, it’s now for the technical committee to act.”

    Amodu is to be assisted by James Peters and Kashimawo Laloko.

  • Super Eagles has great potential – Amodu

    Super Eagles has great potential – Amodu

    The National Technical Director, Amodu Shuaib has called on Nigerians not to put too much pressure on the present Super Eagles, saying most of the players are just coming into the team and need time to “fully grow.”

    “Let us be careful not to put too much pressure on the players. Apart from goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and John Mikel Obi, the rest are young players who need time to mature into the big time.

    “Yes, we all expected them to win tonight against the Namibians. But I tell you, the Namibians are a very good side and we can only take some positives away from this match,” he told our correspondent.

    Amodu spoke at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, venue of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the African champions and the Brave Warriors, which ended 1-1.

    Defender Godfrey Oboabona equalized for Nigeria through a fierce free-kick, after substitute Deon Hotto Kavendji had shot the homers in front six minutes earlier.

     

  • Amrouche blasts NFF over ‘Amodu saga’

    Amrouche blasts NFF over ‘Amodu saga’

    Kenyan Coach Amrouche is still unhappy with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). This time he has revisited the way the Nigeria Federation handled the Amodu saga, calling it ‘unfair’.

    In the last of a five-part exclusive interview he granted to supersport.com while in Nigeria, the savvy coach called the whole affair ‘wrong and embarrassing’ to Africa and her coaches. As we know coach Amodu was first hired by the NFF in April 2001.

    It would be the start of a long, love-hate relationship ending in 2008, with the end of an unparalleled fourth spell as Nigeria coach, after taking over from Berti Vogts. It was to Amodu whom the administrators turned when the Super Eagles faced elimination from qualifying for Japan/South Korea 2002 after the sacking of Dutchman Johannes Bonfrere. His successful tinkering of the team ensured that Nigeria made the Asian World Cup party, but he was sacked after the team’s bronze-medal finish at AFCON 2002.

    Amazingly, he repeated this feat in 2009 by leading Nigeria to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Just like in 2002, the team’s third place finish led to Amodu being let go of on 6 February 2010. Despite reaching the third place with the national side in the 2010 African Cup of Nations, he was eventually demoted to serve as the coach of the Nigerian B-team (Home-Based Eagles) and Lars Lagerbäck was installed in his place.

    It is the instances pertaining to both World Cup qualifications and subsequent firings that Amrouche is referring to.

    “How can you get a team to the Promised Land and then at the last moment be denied entry? Even to Moses it happened only once. But to Amodu twice and the NFF really need to look at themselves in the mirror”.

    Coach Amrouche and the Harambee Stars returned to Kenya Monday to their elated fans still basking in the glow of earning a difficult draw in Calabar.