14th December, 2021
Godwin Izilein, a former Super Falcons handler, said some members of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, have no knowledge of football.
Izilein stated this, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, while speaking on the recent sack of Gernot Rohr and the appointment of Austin Eguavoen.
He said the interim coaching crew of the Super Eagles would succeed only if the NFF allowed them to work without interference.
Izilein, however, questioned the timing of the sack of the German coach of the Eagles, Gernot Rohr.
He said the challenges of the nation’s national team handlers had been that of undue interference from the administrators.
He noted that this was worrisome considering the fact that most of the administrators knew nothing about the round leather game.
“Our problem does not end with the coaching crew, management has a role to play.
“It is sad that some members of the NFF who have no knowledge of football always dictate what happens, you can’t know it more than the person who has played the game.
“Again, we must do away with the issue of ethnicity in our football; bring in the best players and coaches we have.
“NFF must provide a conducive environment for the coaching crew to excel in their assignment of managing the national team and the question of giving so much to foreign coaches and less to indigenous coaches must be stopped,” he stated.
Speaking on the appointment of Austin Eguavoen and others as interim coaches of the Eagles, Izilein said he hoped the appointment was not a trap for him to fail.
He advised Eguavoen to bring in good players capable of delivering success for the country and to groom local players for the national team and reduce the over-dependence on foreign players.
“Let’s develop players here. We must stop looking for quick results every time.
“Let’s take the time to build a strong national team that we will all be proud of. The fluidity of the game should be returned and not the individual display of talents we have now.
“As for the sack of Rohr, I had questioned the rationale behind it, but I want to align myself with the reasons given for his sack,” he stated.
Izilein called on the NFF to ensure that the Eagles had a smooth sail at the AFCON in Cameron in January 2022.