Following the expiration of Jose Peseiro contract with the NFF, former Super Eagles midfielder, Sylvanus Okpala, has declared his interest and availability to lead the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Okpala, who won the AFCON title in 1980 as a player and as an assistant coach in 2013, said Nigerian football authorities should look inwards this time in appointing a coach for the Super Eagles.
Last Friday, Portuguese manager, Jose Peseiro, confirmed his exit as coach of the Super Eagles after his contract officially expired.
Peseiro, who guided the Eagles to a second-place finish at the 2023 African Cup of Nations, said he was fulfilled coaching Nigeria.
However, Okpala, while commending Peseiro for his efforts said Peseiro tried his best, but the game goes on.”
When asked about a possible replacement, he said, “I’m one of those that should replace him. For the fact that we have been in this issue of getting to quarter-finals, semi-finals, that is a wrong way of employing a coach
Speaking on the vacant Super Eagles managerial position, he further noted that knowledge and experience should be considered for whoever is selected, adding that he qualifies for both.
“I’ve won the Nations Cup as a player, and I have won it as an assistant coach to Keshi, the record is there. It is not easy. It’s not by luck or mathematics, it’s by knowledge.
“The team we went to South Africa with, you can’t compare them with these boys. We went there with home-based boys, playing in the Nigerian league. it was only Mikel (Obi), even Mikel wasn’t a regular player in Chelsea then when he came with us. Then Amunike, and I think Musa too.
“We had only about only one year with the boys then, but this team has spent over 2 years together. We have players that can win the World Cup.”
He further noted that although Nigeria in 2013 wasn’t the favourite to win as opposed to Ivory Coast, who had “one of the best ever African teams,” they were able to prove them wrong.
He noted that back in the 2013 feat, the NFF had already bought the flight tickets to return the Super Eagles back home when they were to play Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals, but the team didn’t give up. According to him, “We sat down and planned a strategy and that strategy worked.”
The Nigeria Football Federation will be tasked with choosing a successor to Peseiro after he penned a farewell message to Nigerians following the expiration of his contract as coach of the Super Eagles.
Managerial Appointment: Iam Qualified To Be Super Eagles Coach-okpala
