NFF to hire experience coach

Olajire made the assertion while reacting to the
draws for the 2018 World Cup in Russia in an

interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
on Saturday in Lagos.
Nigeria is drawn alongside Zambia, Algeria and
Cameroon in the draws made on Friday at the
African Football Confederations (CAF)
Headquarters in Egypt.
It is noteworthy that Cameroon has appeared
seven times in the mundial, while Nigeria has
featured five times and Algeria four times.
``The first major task for the football house is to
get an experienced coach who will be saddled
with the responsibility of the qualification.
``Our first reaction to the qualifiers is to source
for an experience coach to tutor the team. We
believe in the ability of our players, but they
need a capable hand to tutor them.
``We are not afraid of any team, or their ranking
in Africa, our own responsibility is to ensure the
qualification of the Super Eagles. That is
sacrosanct,’’ Olajire said.
A former coach of Super Eagles, Fanny Amun,
said that Nigeria had a chance to qualify if
things are put in the right perspectives.
``I think every team in that group has equal
opportunity to qualify, everybody wants to go to
the World Cup, and teams like Algeria and
Zambia are not push over too.
``We must start preparation immediately and it
must start with the appointment of a good coach
either local or foreign; the most important task is
Nigeria’s qualification.
``This task of qualification has been missing in
the past when we did not qualify for two
consecutive Nations Cups. The only hope we
have now is this qualification and we must not
bungle it.
``However, I believe that Nigeria can qualify if
the right thing is done at the appropriate time
and not later.
``The NFF should settle down to business and
solve the issues surrounding the appointment of
a coach,’’ he said.
Amun also advised the NFF to have cordial
relationship with the technical crew and the
players in the team of which failure might spell
doom for Nigeria’s qualification from the tough
group.
``NFF should have good rapport with the team
generally; they should not force anybody to play
or beg anyone to represent the country, for what,
if I may ask?
``Money should also not be in the front burner,
many of us have served this country faithfully
and this is where we are today; serving the
country is a privilege and not monetary gain.
``The controversies over issues of bonuses
should stop and only patriotic players should be
invited with terms and conditions which should
be pay as you go for bonuses.
``Players should get paid after qualification and
not getting paid either they qualify us or not
because at the end of the day some players get
paid for doing nothing,’’ he said.
Amun contended that only few countries still pay
bonuses to their senior team.
``Lets call a spade a spade; we have done too
much charity in this country which gets us
nowhere.
``National team bonuses should be tied to
qualification that is the way to go,’’ he said.