•Warns NFA against employing inexperienced coaches for national teams
By COSMAS OMEGOH
Saturday, February 23, 2008

One-time coach of Falcons, Niyi Akande, has taken a swipe at ex-internationals, Stephen Keshi and Daniel Amokachi, for offering themselves to coach the Super Eagles.
The news media, in recent times, have been awash with statements credited to the former Super Eagles’ stars, as they offer to take Super Eagles to the dreamland if given the mandate.

Amokachi, early in the week, told the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to save themselves the energy of shopping for a replacement for German Coach, Berti Vogts, who had thrown in the towel, adding that either himself, Keshi or Dutchman, Clemence Westerhof, were the right men to reengineer Eagles if the pie fell on their path.

But in a swift reaction, Akande, who once coached Shooting Stars of Ibadan to glory in 1992, warned the NFA not to jump at the offer. He reasoned that although the duo played football at the highest level, and have served the country with the best of their abilities, they are still inexperienced to reestablish the Eagles on the winning hands.
He, therefore, cautioned the football house not to make a mockery of the Eagles’ job, just as he warned that they must never make the mistake of appointing inexperienced coaches for any of the national teams.

"I have read about Stephen Keshi and Daniel Amokachi urging the NFA to hand them the job of coaching the Super Eagles," the former Falcons’ coach began, "but I find those offers funny, and there is no better way to say it.
"In all honesty, I respect the duo, they were former Super Eagles’ stars. They played rich football in their days and have served Nigeria well both on and off the football pitch. But I don’t think that their demands to be handed the Super Eagles’ plum job at this point is healthy.

"They may have done well as players, but they are still inexperienced to be entrusted with the Eagles’ job. And if the NFA should succumb to their demands, I will consider it a mockery of our respected coaching profession. I have my reasons for saying so. First, both men have never played the role of a chief coach in any league side. That is the job that brings the best out of a coach.
"Being the chief coach of a league side is tasking, and any coach who has been there can always draw from his wealth of experience even when he is given a national team job to handle. But both men have not been at the helm of any league side before, not to talk of winning laurels."

He maintained that following the Super Eagles’ disastrous outing at the last Nations Cup in Ghana, Nigeria needs an experienced and result-oriented coach, who would be a father-figure to the players whose moral, according to him, "is down at the moment."
He said, although he wants the duo to excel in their careers, handing them the offer to guide Eagles, which he described as "annoying", would be counter productive.

"The Eagles played badly at the Ghana 2008 event, and right now, their moral is down. So, they need an experienced coach to breathe an air of confidence into them. They need someone who can turn their game around. Keshi and Amokachi may be able to do that in future, not now.
"Super Eagles are too big for small boys. They duo are still fledging; they have not got there yet. So, for me, giving them that big job is annoying," he stated.
Akande is not against appointing inexperienced coaches for the Super Eagles alone, but for all the national soccer sides.

"I want to warn the NFA to look for experienced coaches for the other national teams. And they must be careful about who they appoint. They must look for experienced coaches who can build the careers of those young players so that they can mature and become world beaters tomorrow," he concluded.

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There's always a starting point. It only takes one big shot and one experimental success to dubbed 'experienced'; but then being experienced doesn't always guarantee best result. Nigeria honestly needs to start exploring raw home-grown talents and be patient with them.

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Memory is a wonderful thing if you don't have to deal with the past.

...Nigeria does not have the time or patience for "starting points"...starting points are for teams who are just beginning to get their foothold and making a statement..e.g:Angola...they can afford that sort of time luxury because it was just recently that they started making headways on the continent....Nigeria is an established powerhouse that is not going to tolerate missing continental or global competitions based on 'patience'.Especially with the calibre of players we have.....the only issue is gelling them into a TEAM.It matters to me not whether the player plays for Enyimba or Chelsea,as long as he's good enuff for Naija..all this rhetoric about building a team from home based players ,if orchestrated,will backfire like a badly cocked gun.80% of our best footballers play outside the country..period.That's the reality...even to so-called homegrowns are looking to get out...so what are we going to do...keep rebuilding from homegrowns?We have the players that can do it..we just need a coach that can get the best out of them @ crucial times..if he can pick the team properly
Pa

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....Perception Is Everything....

Pa

Pete,

I have to agree with Pa J on this one. We do not have the patience and the time for the inexperienced stuff at the moment. if they want some experience, make them use Enyima and Dolphins. We need someone who can motivate both homegrown and overseas players and get the best from them and will bring some good news after the disappointment in CAN 08.

Keshi is the best local coach available to the Super Eagles at this present time. He's already proved he can coach at the highest level and taking Togo to the 2006 world cup was a tremendous achievement.

BTW, I just read on the BBC that Siasia openly backed Keshi for the job. Give the job to Keshi jare.

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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."

"A river does not run through a forest without bringing down trees".

..dude...can U kindly tell us what Keshi has WON as a coach?I asked the same question of Keshi backers on CE and all went mute!Granted he qualified Togo for the World Cup but do U know WHY he was fired as Togo coach before the world cup?I'm not questioning Keshi's ability..the issue is with trustAnyone who wants an individual with a questionable trust background to coach Nigeria does not have SE's best interest @ heart...besides...did he qualify Togo for this past ANC when he was reinstated?U just like to dey yan opaks for no reason...Siasia has WON MORE LAURELS AND MEDALS as a coach than Keshi..and don't keep giving me that Togo-World Cup nonsense ..that aint enuff!
Pa

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....Perception Is Everything....

Pa

Winning laurels with the junior teams in which only 8-10 countries participate is not the same as managing the senior sides. Togo qualifying for the world cup was clearly an over-achievement by any standards. They did not even have the talent to qualify (with the exception of Adebayor) and did so as a result of Keshi's coaching and organising skills.

With regards to Togo not qualifying for the last ANC, they faced a well organised Mali team with more talented individuals. Did Nigeria beat Mali at the ANC?
BTW, Togo went into the last game with a chance of qualifying for the ANC, but they lost because Mali were clearly the better team in every aspect. They had Kanoute (the current African player of the year, and an equivalent of Adebayor). Keshi's record speaks for itself and like I said earlier, Siasia has publicly backed him, so I don't know what you're going on about.

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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."

"A river does not run through a forest without bringing down trees".

..I laff..U dey talk as if na only Adebayor get skill for Togo team.Togo has a couple of other NIGERIANS playing for them,with very good talent.Nigeria barely beat anybody in that ANC so for U to bring that into perspective is irrelivant.Kanoute was NOT the APOY due to voting,he only got it because Drogba did not show up.Stop twisting the truth bro...the Mali team I saw was not THAT good.8-10 Teams in the AYC or the Junior World Cup??Dude...the AYC na 16 teams..just like the Junior World cup.It takes a lot of management skills to accomplish global victory..so don't try to diminish Siasia with your rubbish.He's on the brink of qualifying for the Olympics,which is the next best thing to the SE..U don't even know ANYTHING about the internal problems the SE has to even comment on the issue..which..if U no sabi..is why those who oppose Keshi oppose him..not based on whether he can be a good coach.Politics adn corruption have always rubbished Nigerian football..and that's the last thing we need now....fyi..Togo fired Keshi because he caused fracas in the team by trying to become Adebayor's agent....and WE DO NOT NEED A DOUBLE AGENT COACHING THE TEAM!!!!!A DOUBLE AGENT WILL ONLY ALWAYS PICK "HIS BOYS",NOT THE BEST PLAYERS...kapish?

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....Perception Is Everything....

Pa

From the latest indications,the top two candidates from the interview are Oliseh and Siasia...I read that Oliseh really impressed.