By Victor Kanayo
Crisis has hit the ranks of Nigeria’s Super Eagles coaching crew, following the decision of the country’s football body to drop some coaches.
The Nigerian team led by Portuguese Coach Jose Peseiro, is billed to face Guinea in a two-legged Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday, March 24 and 27, 2023.
Already, both sides are converging at their camps ahead of the encounters, which could determine whether or not, who eventually picks 2024 AFCON ticket.
However, on Monday March 20, Nigeria’s football fraternity, was surprisingly greeted by an alarm raised by a member of Super Eagles coaching crew, Ike Shorunmu, who wondered why the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) will all of a sudden, in collaboration with Peseiro, decide to yank him off the team as goalkeeper trainer.
Shorunmu, an ex-international, revealed that NFF’s latest decision to drop some coaches, affected another member of the coaching crew and 1st Assistant Coach, Finidi George.
Coach Shorunmu also accused NFF of victimisation, after they demanded that an official contract should be offered them, months after working without any.
He also alleged that the NFF has refused to pay them.
NFF later same day, offered some explanations.
The country’s football body in a response sent to Heritage Times HT via its communication department said, “As part of cost-cutting measures instituted at the beginning of the new administration, we established a rotation policy among the assistant coaches, based on the high number, which was agreed with all of them. The last time that the team had a programme, Mr. Finidi George was the person who travelled for the friendly match in Portugal. This rotation policy is only for matches. When there is a tournament, all of them will be with the team.
“He knew at that time that the next trip would be that of Mr. Usman Abdallah. Abdallah is simply taking his turn to be in the camp for the program of Super Eagles Vs Djurtus of Guinea Bissau, and Mr. George will be around for the next program.
“The other person who could have been contending, Mr. Salisu Yusuf, has been sent to the U23 team. There was no victimization, sleight of hand or any disrespect meant to our illustrious ex-international players.
“The case of goalkeepers’ trainer, Ike Shorounmu is somewhat peculiar, as the former Nigeria goalkeeper showed a clear lack of desire to be in camp for the matches against Guinea Bissau.
“We do not want to go into any details because we have the utmost respect for all our ex-internationals, including Mr. Shorounmu. It was only when we got the clear signal that he was unwilling to come, and the Head Coach was in a quandary, that he (Coach Peseiro) requested for the services of Olatunji Baruwa, who he had seen at work during the U20 AFCON in Egypt, to help do the work of training the goalkeepers.”
The football regulators also admitted that it has failed in meeting up with proper contractual engagement of coaches, adding, “We agree there are a number of challenges concerning contracts of coaches of National Teams that we need to speedily resolve. The NFF is working on these and the issues will soon be in the past.”
