Super Eagles in their locker room after beating South Africa on penalty shootouts
The Nigeria Football Federation NFF, is still scouting for an experienced coach for the Super Eagles of Nigeria; npflupdates.com reports.
The Super Eagles is still without a substantive coach since Finidi’s shocking resignation last June. Recall, the NFF last month publicly announced Bruno Labbadia as Super Eagles 37th coach, only for the German to walk out of the job without making an appearance in Nigeria’s colours.
In an interview on Brila FM’s, “No Holds Barred with Ifeanyi Udeze”, former Super Eagles Captain Yobo, now 44, shared how he was assured of a place in the national team coaching crew. But would later be disappointed by the NFF.
The former Everton FC defender revealed that coaching was never initially part of his plan.
What Yobo said about the NFF
“It’s always an honour to represent the national team in any capacity, but the only reason I hesitated to join the coaching crew was because of how coaches are treated. It’s not encouraging.”
“When I finished playing, some of my mates were venturing into coaching, but I wasn’t impressed. The way coaches are treated in Nigeria, they don’t always succeed, so I thought, why should I join them?”
“When the opportunity came, it was an honour, even though I was skeptical. But as I continued, I realized I had it in me too. I enjoyed it and saw it as an opportunity to grow. I was even told I could be the next Stephen Keshi, I was a project. But when we failed to qualify for the World Cup, they dropped all the coaches,” he said.
Lamenting about his limited role within the team, and subsequent discharge Yobo said;
“What happened in the World Cup game – maybe I could have contributed one or two things if I was in the dressing room or closer to the coach. But my assignment was just to warm up players.”
“I was told I was a project for the future, but I was highly disappointed when everyone was told to go, even though they had assured me ‘no shaking.’”
Stating that his life doesn’t depend on coaching, Yobo strongly believes Nigeria is missing out on his expertise if the NFF fails to reintegrate him into the team.
Also read: AFCON 25: NFF Technical Committee Begins Emergency Meeting, Debunks Labbadia U-Turn
“My life doesn’t depend on coaching, but if I don’t go back to coaching, I believe Nigeria missed something. Everyone who knows me knows my passion for the game, I put my heart into it.”
