The search for a new coach for the senior national team of Nigeria is expected to begin in earnest following the expiration of the two games mandate given to Austine Eguavoen, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Eguavoen was handed the task of handling the team in the AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda in interim capacity and the team picked up four points out of a possible six, with a sound 3-0 win over Benin in Uyo followed up with a 0-0 draw against Rwanda in Kigali yesterday.
Contracted for both games following the breakdown in talks with German coach Bruno Labbadia for the vacant role of head coach, Eguavoen confirmed the end of his mandate as coach but left the door opened for a possible return due to his role as the technical director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
“I have been given a mandate to handle two games. I will want to say I am very pleased with the boys and again thanks to the NFF leadership and all the boys supported me in terms of discipline and working hard”, he told Pius Idoko after the game.
“It ends today, which is the two games mandate. I can’t talk about Libya because I haven’t been told but however I can talk about it a little bit incase we have another coach, we can talk about it I want to be closer to the team as it should be and I can give inside story and inside information that we need to be able to overcome Libya”.
His statement has led to talks about a new substantive coach for the team and former coach of the Clemens Westerhoff has given his opinion on who should be handed the role.
The coach who can arguably be termed one of the best in the history of Nigerian football after leading them to three AFCONs, where the team finished second (1990) , third (1992) and first (1994) consecutively also hold the honor of the first coach to qualify Nigeria for the world cup.
He said Samson Siasia who recently returned from a ban placed on him by FIFA due to his relationship with a match agent famous for fixing games, should be handed the role and given the necessary support.
“I called him last month to greet him for his birthday and also to celebrate with him for the end of his five-year ban”, Westerhof told Sports Village Square at his house in Arnhem in the Netherlands
“He has done it before and I think he can still do it.”
