The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday announced the appointment of former international Emmanuel Amuneke as chief coach of the Super Eagles.
The reconstitution of the technical crew, NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi said, would see Augustine Eguavoen remain interim technical adviser.
“The NFF Board has approved a recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee retaining Augustine Eguavoen as Technical Director/Technical Adviser (interim) while Emmanuel Amuneke becomes the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles. Salisu Yusuf will be the 2nd Assistant Coach/Chief Coach of the CHAN team and Joseph Yobo will be 3rd Assistant while Aloysius Agu remains the Goalkeepers’ Trainer,” Sanusi said in a statement.
The Super Eagles were knocked out of AFCON 2021 by Tunisia in the Round of 16, with Eguavoen in charge.
However, Sanusi said the decision to bolster the technical crew with the addition of Amuneke was based on the performance of the Super Eagles at the continental tournament.
He added that Portuguese Jose Peseiro, who was earlier tipped to head the Super Eagles coaching crew, might get his chance in the future.
“We acknowledge and appreciate the interest that Mr Jose Peseiro has shown in Nigeria Football during our very cordial discussions and have absolutely no doubt about his capacity. We believe that perhaps in the future, there could be an opportunity to work with him.
“However, in view of the positive performance of the Super Eagles at the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations which has given hope to Nigerians and boosted our confidence in the present coaching crew to qualify us for the World Cup in Qatar, we have decided to accept the recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee to retain the Eguavoen-led coaching crew and strengthen it with the addition of Emmanuel Amuneke,” said Sanusi.
Amuneke scored both goals that won Nigeria the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations final match against Zambia in Tunis, scored the goal that won Nigeria and Africa’s first Olympic football gold medal in 1996 and played in the 1994 and 1996 FIFA World Cup finals, scoring two goals in USA ’94.
As coach, the electrifying winger qualified Tanzania for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt and led the Taifa Stars in the finals. He is a member of both the FIFA and CAF Technical Study Groups.
