Sacked after Super Falcons' disastrous World Cup outing in Canada, Goal explore whether the coach was right to be axed, or whether he could have learned from his mistakes.

Were the Nigeria Football Federation right to sack Edwin Okon after the Women's World Cup, or should they have let him to build for the future, as Cameroon have done with Enow Ngachu?

The NFF have pulled the plug on Okon’s reign with the Super Falcons; the 49-year-old saw his two-and-half-year stint, largely as an interim, come to a crashing end following the side’s elimination from the ongoing Women’s World Cup.

Christopher Danjuma, who served as Okon’s assistant, has been installed on a temporary basis, and will lead the African champions in their remaining 2016 Olympic qualifiers and at the2015 All-African Games.

Danjuma, who is also the coach of Nasarawa Amazons and assisted Okon since August 2013, appears to have been tactically exonerated by the NFF of any fault in the country’s exit from the World Cup.

It is understandable that fans of the women's game might be sceptical about Danjuma's appointment, he was, after all, an influential figure in Okon's disappointing regime.

Okon's shortcomings and tactical ineptitude can never be overlooked, but his lone sacking, leaving his technical crew untouched, seem nothing short of sabotage. His departure, however, has appeared inevitable ever since he spoke out against his 25 months of unpaid salary-a story broken by Goal-almost immediately after the Super Falcons emerged as African champions for a record-seventh time.

His complaints did not go down well with his employers nor the then Federal government, as it prompted national embarrassment.

Afterwards, the relationship grew cold between the Super Falcons handler and his employers, who was paid, but left with the tag of a rebel.

Goal understand that the erstwhile coach would have been dropped ahead of the Women's World Cup, were it not for his previous achievements and the unwanted outcry from Nigerians.

No explanation was forthcoming as to why Okon's pleas for grade A friendly games, early camping and technical backup, as well as the recruitment of a psychologist, were never acknowledged.

Despite the acrimony of his departure, it's hard to deny Okon's achievements in the game.

The Rivers Angels coach was promoted from the U20 national team to the Super Falcons in August 2013. He led the country to the 2012 Fifa U20 Women's World Cup semi-final final, before losing narrowly to hosts Japan in the third-place final. He also took over the women's team when they were in a particularly 'down period' in their history.

Okon's mission upon his appointment was to rebuild the team from rock bottom with no immediate success expected after highly respected coach Kadiri Ikhana could not manage it.

Okon was brought on to salvage the situation and was considered as something of a fire-fighter, having already lifted five FA Cups and two league titles. He also boasted a reputation for managing top players and a good eye for scouting young players.

The coach did achieve tangible success; he qualified for the All Africa Games, for example, and took the team to two games away from snatching a Rio 2016 Olympic ticket-both of which represent significant improvements on the previous regime.

The bulk of the players who featured at the 2015 Women's World Cup were graduates from the 2012 and 2014 U20 Women's World Cups, thereby demostrating Okon's ability to ensure some sort of succession for the national side and facilitate transition from the youth sides to the senior set-up.

He also made the most of his talents from Rivers Angels, namely Asisat Oshoala and Evelyn Nwabouku.

Concerning his players, Okon was criticised for allowing his old Rivers Angels side to form the bulk of the team, and was criticised for neglecting the players of other domestic league clubs when assessing talent.

During the Women’s World Cup, Okon, who was on his first ever coaching outing at the senior level, fumbled with his technical decisions, media relations and the discipline of players.

The social media attacks that followed his infamous 'handshake snub' with the United States' Jill Ellis following the Falcons' 1-0 defeat to her side saw his reputation come crashing down.

But the task of survival in such a deadly group-the group of death-against world powerhouses was surely an uphill struggle, particularly considering Nigeria's ill preparation. In this respect, it appears to be Okon's off-field antics, rather than the team's failure to progress, that has ultimately cost him.

In contrast with his Cameroon counterpart Ngachu, who had a bitter international debut at the London 2012 Olympics where the Lionesses crashed out conceding 16 goals in just three games, Okon can feel hard done-by. However, the long-serving coach’s experience broadened technically and tactically, and he learned from his mistakes, ultimately helping Cameroon reach the knockout stages at their first-ever Women’s World Cup.

Could Okon, like Ngachu, not have learned from his lessons and come back stronger?

The NFF may have washed their hands off Nigeria's disastrous campaign in Canada, asking Okon to go while retaining his assistants to continue, but it remains to be seen whether stabilitiy might have been more valuable.

Danjuma's immediate task is to improve the team for the two remaining crucial Olympic qualifier matches, next against Equatorial Guinea in mid-July. Nigerians won’t forgive the present board of the NFF if the Falcons are unable to qualify for the second time in a row for the Rio 2016 Olympics after missing out at London 2012.

If they miss out, it may be the federation, and not the departed Okon, who has to take the blame.

Source: http://m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/13193782

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