World Cup
Why Amokachi is out of Super Eagles camp
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/amokachi.jpg)
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
As the preparation for Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying duel with rivals, South Africa gets to high pitch fever, one major observation in the Nigerian camp is the absence of assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi.
Speculations have been flying around on social media networks and it was even claimed that he had resigned his appointment as an assistant to former national team mate, Finidi George.
Both applied for the job before it was awarded to Finidi. Sports Village Square reached out to sources at both the federation and the football team.
It was gathered that Amokachi was not pleased with the type of contract he was offered and felt that reporting at the camp will legally mean that he accepted the contract.
“He therefore opted to abstain while sorting out the contract with the NFF”, a source informed Sports Village Square.
It will be recalled that even Finidi George and the then goalkeeper trainer, Ike Shorunmu had similar problems last year in the days leading to the back-to-back match with Guinea Bissau in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
At the time, both were assistants to Jose Peseiro. The former national team players turned coaches were subsequently left out of the training crew. It was gathered that what the NFF had with them at the time was ‘verbal contract’. Finidi was later recalled while Shorumu was left out of the crew in which he was the goalkeeper trainer.
Another source told Sports Village Square that Amokachi discussed his absence with Finidi George and told him he would return as soon as the contract issues are sorted out, Nigeria face South Africa in a dicey World Cup qualifier in Uyo on Friday night before leaving for another qualifying match with Benin Republic in Abidjan on Monday.
World Cup
Can of worms discovered in Super Eagles camp
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/super-eagles-1.jpg)
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
All is not well at the moment with the Nigeria’s Super Eagles who have gone seven World Cup qualifying matches since November 2021 without a win.
The dwindled fortunes contrast sharply for a team noted before now as the African sides with the longest unbeaten streak in the World Cup qualifiers. At time, they were unbeaten since losing through a late goal to Angola in Luanda on 20 June 2004 till 10 November 2017 when their 1-1 draw with Algeria was converted to a 3-0 forfeiture owing to NFF featuring an unqualified player. At the time, Super Eagles had raked 35 unbeaten run. At another time from 2012 to 2013, the team had an unbeaten run of 18 matches from 3 June 2012 when they beat Namibia 1-0 in Calabar to 21 June 2013 when they were beaten 2-1 by Uruguay in a FIFA Confederations match in Brazil.
Yet the same outfit has turned laborious after losing its flairs. A source close to Finidi George told Sports Village Square that the coach complained that the NFF just heaped all the blames of the team’s current precarious situation on him while exonerating the players.
He also reportedly remarked that the NFF did nothing to mobilise crowd support for the Super Eagles in the back-breaking encounter with Benin Republic in Abidjan despite the presence of large Nigerian community in the Ivorian commercial capital city.
A Benin Republic sports journalist confirmed this to Sports Village Square. The journalist remarked that it was true that there “were not many Nigerians at the Félix Houphouet Boigny stadium even though Nigeria has a strong community in the Ivory Coast. I see that the defeat against the Republic of Benin really hurts.”
Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, the President General of the Nigeria Football and other Sports Supporters’ Club (NFSP) had earlier made the same assertion on the neglect of crowd mobilisation for the Super Eagles and that those who made it to Uyo and had auto accident on their way back were not even given a mention by the NFF.
He had since 1991 established the first of the international cells of the supporters club. They were not mobilised for the game against Benin Republic.
On players attitude, a member of the NFF confirmed that the Super Eagles camp in Uyo was loose as players went to camp with their girl friends.
That could also explain their dismal forms in the back-to-back destiny shaping encounters with South Africa and Benin Republic.
World Cup
BREAKING! Finidi George formally resigns
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/finidi.jpg)
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Nigeria Super Eagles’ coach, Finidi George has resigned from his post as Super Eagles’ coach, two days after the Nigeria Football Federation announced it was going to employ a foreign technical adviser.
A source close to Finidi told Sports Village Square that Finidi sent his resignation letter to Ibrahim Gusau “3o minutes ago.”
Finidi was said to be livid that the NFF leadership met with the sports minister two days ago, but failed to mention that players reported late to the camp and that they didi nothing to mobilise Nigerians in Cote d’Ivoire to come out to support the Super Eagles in last Monday’s match with Benin Republic.
“He complained that the NFF heaped all the blames on him”, said the source.
Calls to NFF officials to verify the information were not answered.
World Cup
UPDATE: NFF may spare Finidi George
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Finidiunveiling-Signing.jpeg)
Under fire Super Eagles’ coach, Finidi George may excape sack afterall. A source close to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) told Sports Village Square that Finidi may not be sacked.
He would however work under the foreign technical adviser that the football governing body is planning to hire in the next few weeks.
The source who was privy to the Wednesday’s ‘hybrid mode’ meeting of the NFF informed that Finidi George will be designated as ‘Chief Coach’ while the expatriate will be the technical adviser.
It is however unclear how the NFF will foot the wage bill of the technical adviser, who may also come with his personal crew as Finidi George also already have his own foreign assistants.
There is also no word on the loud absence of Daniel Amokachi who was designated as Finidi George’s assistant, but failed to show up at the Super Eagles’ camp leading to the ill-fated World Cup match day 3 and 4 encounters with South Africa and Benin Republic.
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