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Kadiri Ikhana urges NFF to consider Nigerian coaches for national team positions
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Former Nigeria women’s team and Enyimba coach, Kadiri Ikhana has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to look in the direction of home-based coaches.
The last time Nigerian coaches; Augustine Eguavoen and Emmanuel Amunike handled the Nigerian senior national team (Super Eagles), the team didn’t qualify for Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, losing on away goals to the Black Stars of Ghana in the playoff.
The 2003 CAF Champions League winner says Nigerian coaches capable of handling the national teams excellently and can deliver for the national teams.
“We have capable hands to handle our national teams. Nigerian coaches are ripe enough. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should give indigenous coaches a chance,” Ikhana said on Brila FM this week.
“They should take care of them the way they take care of expatriate coaches. This will help out national teams.”
Ikhana led Enyimba International FC to break the jinx of winning the once elusive CAF Champions League for the Peoples’ Elephant in 2003.
The team retained the title in 2004 under the tutelage of Coach Okey Emordi and remains the only Nigerian side to win the CAF Champions League.
“So many of our coaches have handled the national team before and have succeeded,” the 2003 CAF Coach of the Year winner added.
“We can’t get rid of expatriate coaches as well, but I think we should rely more on what we have first than going out to look for foreign coaches.”
The Nigerian national football teams currently have two foreign coaches in their saddle. Portuguese Jose Peseiro is in charge of the senior men’s national team, American Randy Waldrum is in charge of the women’s national team.
Super Eagles last won the African Cup of Nations in 2013 under the leadership of Nigerian coach, Late Stephen Okechukwu Keshi defeating Burkina Faso 1-0 in South Africa to clinch Nigeria’s third African title.
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