The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, says Mr. Bitrus Bewarang remains the Technical Director of the football –governing body.
It said, through a statement by its spokesman Ademola Olajire on Wednesday, that at no time has the body called for applications from candidates for his position, let alone appointing anyone into the post.
“This clarification becomes necessary against the background of wide-circulating but totally misleading reports of the appointment of Mr. Daniel Amokachi, a former Super Eagles captain and coach, as head of NFF technical department,” Chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed Fresh was quoted to have said in the statement.
“The NFF has been bemused by this unfounded story, which no doubt must have embarrassed Mr. Amokachi himself.”
Yusuf Fresh, who is also member of the CAF Technical and Development Committee, commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for appointing Amokachi as ambassador of Nigerian Football, saying that “Mr. Amokachi richly deserves this appointment as someone who served our dear nation meritoriously on the field of play as a player and coach.”
NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, added that “while the NFF does not and will not foreclose the possibility of a major role for Ambassador Daniel Amokachi in the federation in the future, the truth is that presently, such an appointment has not been made.
“Ambassador Amokachi no doubt deserves all the regard and respect befitting his new role as an ambassador. He should not be dragged into needless controversies such as this.
“The NFF, once more, enjoins the generality of the media to retain the important work ethic of fact-checking and verification, and beware of empty wildfires lit by obscure online cells that lack any iota of credibility.”
The news
There were reports that the former Super Eagles forward had been appointed to replace Bitrus Bewarang as head of the Technical Department of the NFF.
The former English FA Cup winner with Everton FC was reported to have been appointed ahead of other interested coaches like former Chelsea FC of England and PSG FC of France Technical Director Mike Emenalo, Austin Eguavoen, Ladan Bosso, Sam Okpodu and Mutiu Adepoju who showed interest in reviving the NFF technical department.
Also, the National Association of Nigerian Professional Footballers (NANPF) had commended the leadership of NFF on the appointment of the ex-Nigeria international footballer.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary of NANPF, Comrade Austin Popo, on behalf of the union’s president, Tijani Babangida, it described the appointment of the former Everton of England striker as welcome development for the growth of Nigerian football.
According to Popo, Amokachi, who was a former assistant coach to Stephen Keshi’s famous 2013 Nations cup winning team, has the necessary cognate experiences required to help improve the technical department of NFF, as well as the fortunes of Nigerian football.
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