Since the appointment of Finidi George as the coach of the Super Eagles is still fresh, it is what most of us are discussing. Hopefully, this will continue until he completes his yet-to-be-signed contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). As it is typical of the NFF, Finidi is yet to sign his contract papers so nobody can say with certainty the duration of his contract and remuneration. It is said that he is still discussing with his employers in Abuja.
Well, apart from the details of his contract, which are still unknown, another important thing Nigerians are left guessing about is the coaches who will assist Finidi. Reliable sources have said the football federation had approved Finidi’s request to hire his own assistant coaches. This is no doubt an indication that the NFF is ready to give him a free hand to do his job. Maybe the NFF has decided to learn from past experiences.
It is said after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the then head coach, Austin Eguaveon, alleged sabotage by his immediate assistant, Emmanuel Amuneke, the federation had appointed to give him technical support. It is hard to believe this story, but it resurfaced when the former Barcelona winger applied to replace Jose Peseiro. So, to avoid such complicated stories, the NFF has decided to give to Finidi, both the yam and knife.
This brings us to the crux of the matter. The social media is presently awash with reports that Finidi is seriously considering the engagement of foreign coaches as his assistants. This move has already attracted condemnation from Nigerians who are questioning why the young coach should think of such a thing immediately after he reaped from their persistent clamour for an indigenous coach to be hired to lead the Super Eagles. They are, therefore, of the opinion that if a Nigerian coach is considered good enough to head the national team’s technical crew, then it’s not too much to demand that he should be assisted by indigenous coaches.
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A few days ago, I interviewed one of the youngest but vastly experienced coaches in the Nigeria Professional League (NPFL), Abubakar Bala, and he reiterated the sentiments being expressed by some Nigerian football stakeholders. He welcomed the appointment of Finidi as he said it was a major breakthrough for Nigerian coaches.
However, he also advised that instead of foreign assistants, the coach should look inwards and pick quality assistants who will help him succeed in his assignment. Bala maintained that since Finidi was appointed, even as he is an indigenous coach, he shouldn’t be reluctant to choose his compatriots to assist him. According to him, Nigeria is blessed with qualified coaches who are conversant with the Nigerian football terrain. Although Bala spoke for himself, he surely canvassed the position of most football stakeholders, who have absolute confidence in the capacities of Nigerian coaches.
It will also be recalled that when Stephen Keshi was appointed coach of the Super Eagles, with an open mind, he worked with Nigerian coaches, yet he delivered the country’s third AFCON trophy in 2013 in South Africa. The late Keshi benefited immensely from the knowledge and experience of his former teammate, Dan Amokachi, who was his first assistant coach.
The former Club Brugge and Everton striker provided him with the required technical support when it mattered most. Keshi didn’t despise other indigenous coaches. Before the former Togo and Mali coach was appointed to lead the Super Eagles, Christian Chukwu, Amodu Shuaibu, and Festus Adegboye Onigbinde had worked with other Nigerian coaches. Even as they were not as successful as Keshi, they benefited immensely from the patriotism of their fellow countrymen.
It is against this background that it is necessary to advise the NFF to discourage Finidi from going for expatriates as assistants. Of course, it is good to give him a free hand, but at the same time, it shouldn’t be absolute because, as a British historian Lord Acton once said, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The coach should be guided properly to avoid what may be tantamount to abuse of freedom. If all of a sudden, Finidi, who is a complete Nigerian, begins to feel that other indigenous coaches are not worthy of the Super Eagles, then something is wrong somewhere. As a matter of fact, he was not the most qualified for the job, but he was appointed, and Nigerians are ready to support him to succeed. Therefore, if he insists on foreign assistants, he will be showing ingratitude to his colleagues who supported him wholeheartedly to become the next coach of the Super Eagles.
In fact, there is nothing wrong with having foreign assistants, but if Finidi must engage them, he should emulate what Samson Siasia did. Even though he had Nigerians as assistants, he still hired his bosom friend, Simon Kalika from the Netherlands, as his personal assistant. They worked closely together, but he was assisted by other indigenous coaches. In the process, the local coaches also benefited from whatever technical knowledge the Dutch had to offer Siasia.
So, it is important to drum this into Finidi’s ears that he is free to engage the services of expatriates, but he shouldn’t completely ignore his brothers who are not only qualified but are willing to help him succeed in his arduous task. It may be argued that bringing in some of the coaches who vied for the position with him will be dangerous, but he can still find other competent coaches in Nigeria who are honest, humble and less ambitious to work under him. This is in case he is afraid of being toppled one day.
For the umpteenth time, Finidi shouldn’t forget where he is coming from. He is still a Nigerian coach who is only privileged to occupy the exalted position of the coach of the Super Eagles. So, anything that will bring him at loggerheads with his colleagues should be avoided, like the handshake from a leper. As a matter of fact, he is just the first among equals. After all, some of us are yet to see what is so extraordinary about him. Therefore, those who want Finidi to succeed should immediately advise him against overlooking his compatriots. They won’t take it lightly with him if he decides to undermine them.
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