Eagles Nest column

There are two sets of coaches - those who have been fired and those who are about to be fired.

And Nigeria coach, Shuaibu Amodu, will be finally shown the exit door, but the question is when.

Amodu qualified the Super Eagles to their fourth World Cup in November, but you do not have to be TB Joshua or some other soothsayer to know that he is living on borrowed time and that sooner rather than later, he will be axed even with five months to the kick-off of the World Cup.

Left to the Presidential Task Force (PTF) for the 2010 World Cup, that would have been immediately after the Eagles barely scraped past Benin here in Benguela at the weekend.

It did not happen because president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Sani Lulu, would not give in to "order from the top" conveyed by the sports minister.

The timing was also off for Amodu to be fired because even by then the Eagles were still very much alive in the tournament. The team have since shot their way to the last eight of Angola 2010 after they dumped Mozambique on Wednesday.

The result has certainly eased the pressure on the team as they stay on track for the semi-final target set by the NFF.

Amodu will be told to go at whatever stage of the tourament his team crashed out, and even if the Eagles upset the formbooks and win their third Nations Cup title here in Angola, the former coach of BCC Lions is not guaranteed a job.

In 1997, Philippe Troussier was axed even after he qualified Nigeria for the World Cup. He was replaced by "World Cup" coach Bora Muliutinovic.

Amodu guided Nigeria to the 2002 World Cup. but a fallout with top officials after the Nations Cup in Mali meant Adeboye Onigbinde was in charge at the global finals that summer.

There is a long list of why Amodu has to go -

*His tactics have not inspired confidence, whether with the players, fans or even some of his staunchiest backers, who openly expressed that they were baffled by his substitutions in the match against Egypt.

*Likewise, questions have been asked about his team selection. He clearly has some favourite players and would insist on them even if they have to play on crutches.

*Some key players have opened up here to say they have not learnt anything from Amodu.

*He is Public Enemy Number 1 back in Nigeria and as a result the Super Eagles brand is becoming a very hard-sell when it should not be the case after the team qualified for the historic World Cup in South Africa. The NFF desperately need a charismatic coach if they are to sell those marketing windows available for the Eagles brand.

*His handling of the local media has also left a lot to be desired. He told a handful of Nigerian reporters in Benguela: "I heard you have been reporting nonsence back in Nigeria. Carry on!"

*In public, he enjoys the full backing of the NFF henchmen, but he has not helped his case even with these very powerful men no thanks to his arrogance.

*He has yet to convince anybody why he has continued to shut out players from the domestic league, arguing that these players are not good enough.

Or could it be that it is he who is not good enough to spot the potentials in players like Ikechukwu ThankGod and Bartholomew Ibenegbu of Heartland and Chibuzor Okonkwo from Bayelsa United?

In the meantime, Amodu continues to live a charmed life.

He was rewarded with a 4X4 by the PTF for qualifyng the country to the World Cup (like I wrote a few weeks ago, this is really a parting gift from those who do not believe in the man). He also pocketed $60,000 (about 8 million naira) on Wednesday night when the team marched into the quarter-finals of Angola 2010.

He will be another $20,000 or three million naira richer, if the Eagles fly into the semi-finals on Monday.

Certainly not a bad way to stock up in time for when he will be asked to go.

http://nationscup.mtnfootball.com/live/content.php?Item_ID=27131

"I heard you have been reporting nonsence back in Nigeria. Carry on!" .too bad of Amodu to have said this to reporters,

opes:

"I heard you have been reporting nonsence back in Nigeria. Carry on!" .too bad of Amodu to have said this to reporters,

Link to this story please?
If he really said this, he just reopened the wounds he sought to patch during the meet the media parley he had b4 the team left for Angola.

The story is true, I also read it in the newspaper that Suni Lulu and other NFF officials were shocked at his raging response.
Amodu is an A$$hole. Even if he wins the cup he will still not take Eagles to the world cup except Suni Lulu is not interested in
re-contesting for his post.

@ochukoccna,the phrase was qouted from the main story i posted above and the link is also there,

@ Opes
What do you want from the man? those they hired when they sacked some, what was their achievement? Look back and tell me. Dude.

@supereagles, i have nothing against Amodu regarding the way he is handling the team,at least he tried qualifying us for the world cup, my point aint about winning or how good he is technically but his utterance particularly to the press,he shud take it easy with them, either amodu is taking the team to the world cup or not,i have agreed to support all the african countries going to the world cup,at least if Nigeria fail to perform,other may surprise and i will be ok with that other than giving myself HB,