The decision of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to pick Bruno Labbadia as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria has been termed as a mistake, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
58 year old Labbadia was announced as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but made a u-turn following breakdown in talks related to failure in finding an agreement on the payment of his taxes.
In response the NFF turned to the head of their technical department Austine Eguavoen to handle the team in interim capacity for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers games against Benin Republic and Rwanda on the 7th and 10th of September respectively.
It will be the 4th time that the former captain of the senior national team of Nigeria will be handling the team, and according to a board member of the football house the chaotic arrangement would have been avoided if they had stuck to the original plan of appointing Belgian coach Tom Saintfeit, who is now the new coach of Mali.
” I think within us (NFF) we knew it was a mistake going out of our shortlist and picking from another shortlist drawn up by the president of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau and some people in high places. The entire episode with Labbadia is disgraceful and we can’t deny that we should have handled it better”, he said.
He however backed the choice to Eguavoen as coach saying among all indigenous coaches the is the one whom the players love the most due to his open nature and the fatherly manner he relates with them in camp , and even during games.
” Eguavoen is the most loved indigenous coach by the Super Eagles players among all that we have here in Nigeria. They see him as a father and like the way he addresses them especially in camp and even during games. He brings calm and unity”, he completed his statement.
