As the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) continue to foot drag on appointing a coach for the senior national team of Nigeria plans are underway to have an interim coach in place with the date for the start of the AFCON qualifiers less than a month away, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The duo of Tom Saintfeit and Eric Chelle are the two coaches currently left in the race for who will replace Finidi George, who was let to leave after the world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively.

None of the above mentioned duo have been handed the reigns after interviews and with the country set to play against Benin Republic and Rwanda respectively in the AFCON qualifiers, the NFF is considering an interim coach arrangement for the team.

Already names of possible options have been proposed by certain individuals in the NFF and it includes the duo of Austine Eguavoen, the technical director of the NFF and Daniel Amokachi who famously turned down the chance to work as an assistant to erstwhile coach Finidi.

However, the president of the football body Ibrahim Musa Gusau is keen and hopeful that a coach will be picked before the games, and has already stepped up the slow process with the hope of sealing the deal as early as next week.

French Ligue 1 side Lens have confirmed the signing of 20 year old Nigerian midfielder Hamzat Ojediran from Hungarian side Debrecen, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

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The recent move by the captain of the senior national team of Nigeria William Troost-Ekong to Saudi Arabia has led to speculations that more players of the team could follow suit by moving to the high paying league, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Ekong abandoned the lure of playing in the UEFA Champions League with Greek side PAOK in favour of a move to newly promoted Al Khalood in the Saudi Pro League for a wage, which we gathered is in the region of three times what was earning with the champions of Greece.

Saudi Arabia have been able to lure lot of top players to their league using their ability to pay much more than most teams in European leagues. One player who turned down their overtures was Nigeria international winger Samuel Chukwueze.

Chukwueze revealed in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, that he received an offer in the region of $10m a year prior to making his decision to stay to join AC Milan from Villarreal last summer.

” Money? If it had been a problem, I would have signed in Saudi Arabia. A year ago they wanted me. $10m net? No, it was much more”, he said.

“My mind was set only on Milan . My agent told me: ‘Hey, look, there’s this money…’. But I didn’t bother: ‘I don’t want to go anywhere else’. So he gave up. If that money comes, it will come. The most important thing now is to believe in myself, I’m still young, I want to make it, I have to stay in Europe”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Nigeria international winger Samuel Chukwueze has revealed the reason why he had a poor debut season at Italian Serie A side AC Milan following his move to the team from Spanish side Villarreal last summer, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chukwueze ended last season with three goals and three assists in 33 games drawing criticism from fans and the press owing to the fact that he was the club’s record purchase last summer.

He has however started this season on a high with a goal against Real Madrid on the back of his two assists against Manchester City and one against Barcelona, leading to talks that the new coach of AC Milan Paulo Fonseca has found a way to get the Nigerian firing to his potential.

Explaining the reason why he struggled last season under Stefano Pioli, Chukwueze said factors other than the abilities of the coach limited him to his best last season. “What didn’t work out with Pioli? “I arrived late, at the end of July, so it was a bit difficult to convince him. The players in my position were scoring. We are all human, and I wanted to play, but coaches are cautious, and that’s normal. I had a good relationship with Pioli; he is a fantastic man and a good coach, but that’s football”, he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

On new coach Fonseca, he explained the reason behind the turnaround in his performance” “He only told me one thing: ‘Samuel, I don’t want to see the Chukwueze from last year. I want the one from Villarreal.’ And I said, ‘Okay, no problem.’ It’s like I’ve been reborn. I’m a new player.”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Samuel Chukwueze has revealed the response he got from his international teammate Victor Osimhen when he told the unsettled Napoli striker to join him at AC Milan, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Osimhen is facing an uncertain future with the former champions of the Serie A with new coach Antonio Conte already picking Romelu Lukaku as his replacement, if he leaves as agreed when he signed his contract extension with the club in December.

However a planned move to PSG has stalled over the release clause of €130m inserted in his contract, and reports of interest from Chelsea, Arsenal and a host of others haven’t metamorphosed into a firm bid.

Chukwueze who has been friends with Osimhen since their path crossed in 2015 at the Nigeria U17 camp revealed he has tried talking him into joining him at AC Milan, the team he joined last season from Spanish side Villarreal.

“Prediction: what will he do? Would it be nice to play together at Milan in the future? “I’d like to close my eyes, open them, and see him here at Milan. I always ask him, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to come?’ And he replies, ‘Samuel, you know it’s difficult…'” he said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Daniel Martins

One of the shortlisted candidates for the job of the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Steve McClaren told the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical committee that he has an idea on who will be a better alternative to the top striker of the Super Eagles Victor Osimhen.

McCLaren was shortlisted alongside and interviewed for the job made vacant by the departure of Finidi George after the poor results in the world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively. He however picked up the role of the head coach of Jamaica.

It means the duo of Eric Chelle and Tom Saintfeit are now the front runners for the job. McCLaren however made clear his intention to bolster the team, if he was given the role and mentioned Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke as the one player he will convince to play for Nigeria.

He said he noticed that the team struggle in the absence of Osimhen and strongly feels that Solanke who is still eligible for Nigeria at senior level, despite representing England once at senior level and also various youth level is the perfect option for the role.

26 year old Solanke scored 19 goals in 38 games last season for Bournemouth, and according to McClaren his experience of playing in the English Premier League for a while means he won’t be out of place in the Super Eagles.

The former coach of England who recently left his role as assistant coach of Manchester United for the Jamaican job sees Solanke as one who won’t struggle to adapt to African football, because of his physical size and better finish rate than Osimhen.

The plans to engage Tom Saintfeit as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria has received a huge knock by respected Philippines journalist Amir Moukhtar who said the record of the coach doesn’t speak so well, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Saintfeit is reportedly locked in talks with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to become the new coach of the Super Eagles following the exit of Finidi George after the poor results in the last round of games in the world cup qualifiers.

He is in a straight battle with Eric Chelle after Herve Renard ruled himself out of the job citing the low wage on offer by the NFF. It is believed that Saintfeit has the backing of the president of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau who has been his long term admirer.

It explains why Gusau is keen on bypassing the recommendation of Chelle by the technical committee for Saintfeit, who is presently at the helm as the head coach of the Philippines. Amir has however sounded a note of warning to the president.

” Since he (Saintfeit ) took over as coach of Philippines we have lost all but one of our games, which was the 1-1 draw against Indonesia. It is a record that stretches back to his time with Gambia. His team lost all of the last five games at the helm. Not too good if you look at the numbers”, he said.

” But one thing you must acknowledge is his hardwork and resilience. Always available and pushing to get the best out of his players but it certainly hasn’t worked here and it didn’t work during his last days with Gambia. Maybe it will be different with Nigeria”, he concluded.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Former coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has given his opinion on what he thinks the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should look out for as they go in search for a new coach for the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Peseiro led the team for 22 months taking them to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) where they were beaten 1-2 by the host Cote d’Ivoire. It was Nigeria’s best finish at the tournament since 2013 when they won it.

Despite reaching the target of getting to the semi final of the tournament to trigger an extension, the coach left upon the expiration of his deal in February, and one of his assistants Finidi George was handed the role after holding it in interim capacity.

Finidi’s reign lasted just a little over a month and two games before leaving the role after the poor results in the world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic, where they drew with the former 1-1 at home before losing 1-2 to the latter away from home.

The NFF announced after the games that they will employ an expatriate coach for the team and have since started the search for a new coach , ahead of their return to action in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers.

Peseiro gave a hint on what it takes to be the coach of the team if one wants to succeed at the helm ” I was there for over a year and I can say to succeed with Nigeria you have to understand the players and manage their egos. It can be really explosive at times and also know how to create competition without hurting any of the players”, he said in an interview monitored by our editorial team.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The search for a new head coach for Nigeria’s Super Eagles may soon conclude, as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) makes significant strides in its quest.

Finding Finidi’s Replacement

The position became vacant following the resignation of Finidi George in June, prompted by the NFF’s decision to appoint a foreign technical adviser.

George’s tenure saw a shaky start, including a critical defeat to Benin Republic that jeopardized Nigeria’s standing in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Under his leadership, the Super Eagles managed a 1-1 draw against South Africa at home in Uyo and suffered a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan.

These results left Nigeria’s qualification for the World Cup in serious doubt, extending their winless streak in the qualifiers.

The Super Eagles now sit fifth in Group C, ahead of only Zimbabwe and are on the brink of missing back-to-back FIFA World Cup.

The NFF has been actively seeking George’s successor and has been linked with several high-profile coaches, including Harve Renard, Tom Saintefiet, Steve McLaren, and Eric Chelle.

With McLaren now out of the running after taking the Jamaica head coach position, the NFF’s options have narrowed.

Herve Renard the Number One Candidate

Renard is reportedly the preferred candidate, bolstered by his recent departure from the French Football Federation.

An NFF executive, speaking anonymously to SportsBoom.com, confirmed contact with Renard but noted some challenges.

“Harve Renard’s achievements in Africa are well-known, and we have made contact. However, such deals are complex due to various factors, including financial considerations,” the source told SportsBoom.com.

“We are committed to finding the best coach who fits the team’s profile and financial constraints.”

Tom Saintefiet Under Consideration

Belgian coach Tom Saintefiet, currently heading the Philippines national team, is also in the running. Saintefiet, who previously coached Gambia, has expressed interest in managing Nigeria’s star-studded squad.

The NFF executive acknowledged his potential, saying, “He’s a good coach, and the door is open for every qualified candidate.”

Renard’s reported salary demand of $180,000 per month (approximately N23 billion) may be a hurdle, making candidates like Saintefiet and Eric Chelle more viable.

Both coaches have extensive experience in African football and are seen as affordable options. They are open to short-term contracts covering the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, with the possibility of extension.

The Task at Hand

The immediate task for the new Super Eagles coach will be to secure qualification for the 2025 AFCON, competing against Libya, Benin, and Rwanda.

Nigeria reached the final of last AFCON edition, losing 2-1 to the hosts Cote d’Ivoire.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have given an ultimatum to Tom Saintfeit to accept their salary offer or risk losing the Super Eagles job after his outrageous salary demand, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Saintfeit according to what we gathered and as first called by Nigerian journalist Tobi Adepoju is demanding for a monthly pay for $100,000, which the NFF deem as outrageous and unrealistic and they are only willing to pay half that amount.

Their proposal is $50,000 and it will cover any assistants that the coach wants to bring with him, but the coach who says he will need to pay compensation to his present employers the Philippines before leaving is adamant that it’s either his demand or not.

That impasse has brought about a halt in talks and a source at the football house said Saintfeit took them unaware because his representative told them he is open to collecting around $30,000 a month, when he indicated his interest in the job.

Now that he is the favourite he has raised his demands and if he doesn’t drop to what the NFF are willing to pay and have offered him, they will be forced to settle for the original choice in Eric Chelle who has no problem accepting the pay but other issues.

Chelle was picked by the technical committee of the NFF ahead of Saintfeit, but a breakdown in talks on the composition of his assistants ans backroom staff led to a collapse in talks.

It is another twist in the never ending soap opera for who will be the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria as the date for the start of their AFCON qualifiers draws near.

In less than a month, they will face Benin Republic and Rwanda respectively in their opening two games of the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman