National Teams
Julius Aghahowa broke-shame NFF over foreign coach move for Super Eagles
By Monsurah Olatunji
Julius Aghahowa, former Super Eagles striker, has criticized the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for opting to hire a foreign technical adviser for the Super Eagles following disappointing World Cup qualifiers.
Aghahowa, who began his career with Bendel Insurance and earned 30 caps for Nigeria, believes that investing in local coaches could strengthen Nigerian football.
In an interview with Brila FM, Aghahowa emphasized the financial constraints faced by the NFF and suggested that appointing a local coach would be more financially sustainable and beneficial in the long term.
“I think it’s what they want,” Aghahowa commented. “So they will usually go for what they want, irrespective of what people will see or what people’s opinions will be, but I feel we have gone past that.”
He highlighted the importance of homegrown coaches in integrating home-based players into the national team setup, which could ultimately strengthen the domestic league.
Aghahowa’s distinguished career includes scoring Nigeria’s lone goal at the 2002 World Cup against Sweden and becoming the top scorer for Nigeria at the 2002 African Nations Cup.
He also represented Nigeria at the 2000 Summer Olympics. His insights reflect a sentiment among many in Nigerian football advocating for local talent development and coaching opportunities.
