Former Secretary General of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Fanny Amun, yesterday revealed the open confrontation he had with former Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Clemens Westerhof, over how to deploy Nwankwo Kanu in the Golden Eaglets that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Japan in 1993.

Amun alleged yesterday at a media parley where Bolaji Ojo-Oba announced his retirement from the National Sports Commission (NSC) that Westerhof hit him with his briefcase following the tiff and his refusal to accept an advisory role for the Dutchman at Japan'93.
The dispute was only resolved after the country’s military leadership led by President Ibrahim Babangida intervened and asked Westerhof to back off.

Amun alleged that Westerhof flung a briefcase at his face inside an office at NFF office in Lagos, prompting a fight.
He said that he (Amun) refused to yield to Westerhof's pressure that the immensely talented Kanu be played as a creative midfielder.
Amun felt Kanu was more suited to a role as a support striker and not as a midfielder since he already had Karibe Ojigwe, Festus Okuoghae, Sambo Choji and Wilson Oruma as midfielders.

"I declined the offer of Westerhof assistance in Japan and we fought when he threw a briefcase at me on how to use Kanu. He suggested Kanu was a midfielder while I disagreed that he was better suited as a central forward. I already had Ojigwe, Oruma and Okuoghae as midfielders and had to shuffle Choji wide on the left to play Kanu in the attack. But it did not go down well with Westerhof, "observed Amun who led the class of 1993 Golden Eaglets to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup honours in Japan.

He further revealed that it was in the heat of the confusion the two of them were eventually summoned by the then Chief of General Staff, the Late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, to the Defence House in Ikoyi, Lagos, following a directive by Babangida.

"He (Aikhomu) in the presence of Dr Amos Adamu, asked me to acknowledge Westerhof's role as the technical adviser which I bluntly declined. But after I struck to my gun, Aikhomu called Babangida and it was agreed that Westerhof should either allow me a free hand or resign.

“A written agreement was signed by Westerhof while I declined to commit myself to promising that Eaglets would win the trophy in Japan" stressed Amun.
He claimed that while the team was in Holland preparing for the trip to Japan, Westerhof promised to give him $5 000 if the Golden Eaglets advanced beyond the preliminary stage of the competition. Nigeria won the cup after beating Ghana in the final 2-0

he tried