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Qatar 2022: Ayodeji Ayeni urges NFF to imitate Senegal in patient with local coaches
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Technical Adviser of Akwa United, Ayodeji Ayeni has urged Nigeria Football Federation to emulate Senegal by trusting and being patient with local coaches in charge of their national teams.
While the Super Eagles are absent from the World Cup for the first time since 2002, while Senegal are through to the Round of 16 and the tactician appeals for patient with Nigeria coaches to achieve success at the international stage.
“When we talk about how African teams are getting it right at the World Cup, it’s about a lot of continuity. Look at their players and coaches,” Ayeni told Brila FM.
“The African coaches are local coaches. They are all coaches both foreign and home-based coaches.”
After leading Senegal to the final of AFCON 2002 as a captain, Aliou Cisse also was part of the Senegalese side that reached the quarter-final of South Korea/Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup in its debut tournament.
And the Senegalese coach, who has been in charge of the Teranga Lions since 2015, guided the team to African glory in Cameroon six years later and recently knockout stages of the World Cup.
The former Lille and PSG midfielder led the team to back-to-back AFCON finals in 2019 and 2021 – a feat the Promise Keepers handler feels can be attain in Nigeria if the NFF is patient with home-grown national team coaches.
“It is high time we started encouraging our players, and coaches, and we must be patient. Nigeria is not a patient country. A stand-out coach today, crucification tomorrow,” he continued.
“If Senegal wasn’t patient with Cisse, he won’t be able to achieve what he has achieved with the national team today. He captained the team in 2002. Today, he has taken them to the Round of 16 of the World Cup.
“He has taken the team to the Nations Cup twice and won it this year. It’s high time we have patience for our team and coaches.”
Cisse will aim to equal his World Cup record as a player when he leads his team against England in the Round of 16.
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