To say the Nigerian football at the senior level has been in and out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in recent years surviving on life support is not an exaggeration. In fact, it has been more in than out.
With the nation’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup Finals hanging by the thread, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the nation’s apex soccer governing body, is once again on the hunt for a new gaffer for the senior national team, the Super Eagles.
The search has become necessary following the sack of Head Coach Finidi George, who was a few weeks in the saddle after two unimpressive outings in Group C housing Bafana Bafana of South Africa, the Squirrels of Republic of Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho.
The Super Eagles did not fare any better under the Portuguese Head Coach Jose Peseiro before his contract expired shortly after guiding the team to clinch the silver medal at the last AFCON tournament held early this year in Cote d’Ivoire. He could only secure two draws from the Group C matches against Zimbabwe and Lesotho before his exit.
The Nigerian soccer evolution has been overseen by no fewer than 40 coaches in the past seven decades, cutting across different continents, especially Europe, Latin America the Middle East with a mix of indigenous handlers.
But there was no light at the end of the tunnel for our football until the emergence of Jelisavcic Tiko popularly referred to as “Father Tiko” from the defunct Yugoslavia. Tiko was hired to handle the Green Eagles in 1974. An apostle of 4-3-3, he laid a solid foundation for the Green Eagles as the national team was then known. Tiko’s major task was to lead the Eagles to the 1976 AFCON Tournament staged in Ethiopia. Barely two years in the saddle, he returned with a bronze medal. His successor, Prof. Otto Gloria from Brazil, consolidated on the foundation and won the 1980 AFCON trophy for Nigeria for the first time in Lagos.
Clemence Westerhof, a Dutch, perfected the foundation, clinched the second AFCON diadem in Tunisia in 1994 and went on to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup Finals held in the United States also in 1994 for the first time during which the country took the soccer world by storm. Although Nigeria could not progress beyond the quarter final stage, its world ranking shot to the 5th position. That was when the Nigerian football was at an apogee. Today, Nigeria is languishing in the 35th position the current FIFA rankings.
The retardation of our football at the senior level in recent years lies with the hiring of mediocre foreign gaffers who can be manipulated by the corrupt elements managing the country’s football. Accusations abound that the recruiters made sure the coaches would agree to part with a percentage of their salaries and allowances paid in hard currencies.
Another factor militating against our football evolution is the poor domestic leagues and lack of developmental programme for upcoming players. The NFF ought to be ashamed of the current state of our football at the senior level. One of the candidates being considered to rescue the Super Eagles of their precarious situation is Belgium Tom Saintfiet (51).
The Belgian is not unfamiliar with Nigerian football fans. Attempt was made in the past to hire him to handle the Super Eagles. His last assignment was in Gambia where he led the Scorpions to a group stage exit at the last AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, leading to his sack. He once handled the Philippines national squad.
Saintfiet’s pedigree is not quite impressive. The NFF leadership may go for him because he will come cheap. But can we settle for a gaffer that underperformed in his last task after we let go of Jose Peseiro that performed better, getting us a silver medal?
To rescue our football from its fumbling and wobbling state, we need a tested coach who will key into our philosophy, look inwards for local talents, help our domestic leagues to grow and develop and attend local matches rather than junket around Europe to monitor ready-made Nigerian players for call-ups.
He should be a rallying point for our age-grade coaches who are expected to raise feeder players for the senior national squad. The presence of the chief coach of the Super Eagles at the venues of domestic league matches would have a psychological impact on players. They will play their hearts out to impress him and consequently get called up to the national camp. Above all, he should be given the free hands to run his show… devoid of interference from any quarters, while his salaries and allowances are paid as when due.
Considering his background, we do not think Saintfiet is the saviour the nation’s (senior) football needs.