Lars Lagerback is bitterly remembered by Nigerians as the coach who orchestrated one of the country’s most disappointing World Cups ever – at South Africa 2010.
The Swedish tactician was selected to lead the Super Eagles to their fourth Mundial after missing out on the 2006 edition in Germany.
There was optimism around his appointment owing to his pedigree and experience both as coach and player – especially with the Eagles failing to win a World Cup game in 12 years.
The senior national team led by the now deceased Amodu Shaibu had finished third in the Africa Cup of Nations a month earlier but the Nigerian gaffer was criticised for perceived dreadful playing pattern and poor team selection.
Shaibu paid the ultimate price and was axed with Lagerback offered a five-month contract ahead of former England coach, Sven-Göran Eriksson.
“I plan to select the best for Nigeria because the best should be playing for the national team,” Lagerback said during his unveiling.
He added: “The players, just like in any team, have to accept the new challenge. They need to know that things may be done in an unfamiliar way.”
But defeats against Argentina and Greece coupled with a stalemate versus South Korea meant early elimination for the West Africans.
Lagerback knew his time in Africa was up. The 67-year-old failed to return to Nigeria with then assistant, Daniel Amokachi, leading to enraged fans calling for his sack.
“I think 200,000 dollar (N50m) a month is a lot of money to pay a coach for a four-month deal,” the former international opined.
“If you get a Nigerian coach and pay him less than that, he will do a better job.”
Despite finishing bottom of Group B in South Africa, Lagerback was surprisingly offered an extension by the Sani Lulu-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
His words: “Just that despite the relatively poor performance, I was offered to stay for four more years. It felt incredibly positive, if one may be a little vain.”
Fast forward, exactly six years after that woeful World Cup campaign, Lagerback is now the most talked about manager in the world.
Now coach of tiny Island nation, Iceland, the gaffer has accomplished one of the biggest shocks in world football by taking them to the quarter-finals of the 2016 European Championship.
Iceland, which has the smallest population in Europe and about six times less than Lagos State, will face host nation France on Sunday.
They topped a group that had Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Hungary and David Alaba’s Austria and went ahead to brush aside a star-studded English team in the last 16.
It is their first major tournament and their biggest achievement yet and Lagerback is already getting admirers elsewhere in the form of the vacant England’s Three Lions job.
Speaking about the reports, he said: “No, I don’t think so.”Every time I look at myself in the mirror I realise that I should take it easier in the future.”
One man who has been exonerated by the achievements of the Swedish coach is Lulu, who appointed him coach of Nigeria.
“I wanted him to remain as coach after the World Cup in South Africa, but unfortunately I left my role as president of the NFF and now Nigerians are seeing why we appointed him in 2010.”
With Lagerback set to quit the Icelanders after the Euros and the Eagles job still vacant, is there any possibility of a reunion between the pair?
Time will tell.
