NFF reaches out to Mourinho over Super Eagles Job

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) entered into a discussion with Roma Manager, Jose Mourinho, to consider taking the job of sacked Gernot Rohr.

Pinnick made this known during a media parley with sports journalist in Lagos.

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He said the Eagles would get a new coach “within the next week or so”, meaning interim coach of the team Austin Eguavoen might not take the squad to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, which begins January 9, 2022, in Cameroon.

“The emphasis on the new coach is discipline. We will look at his antecedents on discipline,” Pinnick stated.

“Secondly, we will also look at how hungry he is to win trophies because if they are hungry it supersedes so many things and if he wants to win he will instil discipline. We will look at all these things but I cannot make a pronouncement emphatically because I will be undermining my executive committee.

“So, until my executive committee comes out within the next week or so to say this is the name because the technical committee has to bring their presentation to the executive committee. It is going to be a seamless movement to the current team headed by Eguavoen.

“They are coaches who the players cannot be bigger than and I believe we are doing everything we can and that’s why we interface with the ministry on every level.

“Of course Mourinho, I am not going to tell you we didn’t talk to Mourinho because we did and the (sports) minister also talked to Mourinho and there is nothing wrong with it.

He added, “If the coach will give us the Nations Cup, he will be drafted in immediately. I am not going to tell you that it will be later, because of what essence is the recruitment? If the executive committee says yes and we are ready, what are we waiting for?

“When I spoke with one of the coaches on Tuesday, he was already scouting our players and was telling me things I didn’t even know about our players. It was quite impressive and he told me the strength of each player and he took me off guard. We are not going to experiment and if he can win the Nations Cup, no problem.

“We know Eguavoen can do it, but we also want someone who can do it better. If we are unable to sign him soon, then we will work with the current team. But I am not going to tell you that if we have him signed today, he is not going to lead the team to the AFCON.”