Both teams had been expected to do well in their tournaments by the Flying Eagles crashed out in the second round of the U20 World Cup, while the Falcons came rock bottom of their Women's World Cup group with just a point. With both teams having performed badly and below expectations, officials are now looking in the direction of expatriate coaches to handle the national teams.
According to sources close to the NFF, while the football house would insist on having expatriates head the technical crews of the various national teams, the back-room staff would still be headed by the indigenous coaches. It is believed that the NFF already contacted Sweden women’s national team coach Pia Sundhage to take over as coach of the Super Falcons.
Ms Sundhage's team drew 3-3 with the Falcons during the ongoing Women's World Cup in Canada but it was thought that her tactics were far superior to those of coach Edwin Okon. Given the amount of talent at Coach Okon's disposal, his team had been expected to do a lot better and his wards' poor defending, especially of set pieces is thought to have displeased the NFF.
“The foreign coaches will be given convenient nomenclatures like technical advisers or technical directors with the indigenous coaches working under them," the NFF source said.
With the Golden Eaglets having just finished fourth at the 2015 African U17 Championship held in Niger Republic, the NFF wants to ensure they are well coached too. According to a top NFF source, the federation has instructed top level football technocrats to shop for three technically competent coaches who would train the Flying Eagles, Super Falcons and the Golden Eaglets.
All three tacticians are expected to come with their backroom staff but they would work with those Nigerians sent to England for technical courses. All three coaches who are expected to commence work in July would be expected to develop templates for the three teams as well as train potential coaches that would handle them in future.
It is expected that the NFF will outsource the payment of the three foreign coaches through a public private partnership with federation chiefs keeping the names of their partners under wraps until the details are sealed with all those involved. NFF first vice president Seyi Akinwunmi said that it understood the enormous technical deficiencies facing the national teams despite their potential, youthfulness and ability.
Akinwunmi added: “We have the players to take us to glorious heights in the game, therefore with a lot more effort in the enhancement of the technical knowledge of our coaches and technical staff, a comprehensive and focused youth football development program, an assiduous look at critical areas of our football, we promise to build virile national teams and a sustainable football culture that fans would be proud of. We only implore Nigerians to be a little patient and support the federation.”
Ms Sundhage, 55, has been coaching the Swedish national team job in 2012 after agreeing a four-year deal with the Swedish FA. She is believed to have turned down the offer of managing the Super Falcons.
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