Supporters club commends FG’s decision on foreign coach

The Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) on Friday commended Federal Government’s objection to hiring a foreign coach and supported Samson Siasia as the Super Eagles coach.

NFSC Secretary-General, Samuel Ikpea told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the club had at its general meeting on April 4 and did not support the hiring a foreign coach.

NAN reports that the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) proposal to hire a foreign coach was initially supported by Solomon Dalung, the Minister of Youth and Sports.

The NFF’s decision came as the senior the Super Eagles failed for the second consecutive time to qualify for the biennial Africa Cup of Nations.

The football house had planned to hire a foreign coach for World Cup qualification.

Dalung, however, later informed NFF that the Federal Government was not buoyant to pay for a foreign coach.

Ikpea said that at the supporters club’s meeting, members unanimously saw reasons with the government’s point of view.

We believe that government is speaking the mind of football fans and that is why we are drumming support for Siasia,’’ he said.

At the meeting, we recommended that the nation from it abundant indigenous coaches with requisite experience, should appoint one to handle the national team and restore the lost football glory.

We also agreed that Siasia is competent, but needed freedom to do his job.

He should be given maximum support with his salary paid and allowances as at when due and allowed to choose his team.

The meeting observed that the problem with the Super Eagles was the frequent changing of coaches and failure to make progress because of encroachment by sports administrators,’’ he said.

Ikpea added that the club agreed that Nigeria in 2008 hired a world class foreign coach, but he failed to qualify Nigeria for the Nations Cup.

“We now urged the NFF board to visit the record of our performances at international soccer fiesta when we contracted foreign coaches and compare them with when we had indigenous coaches,’’ he said. (NAN)