Date Published: 06/30/10

Eagles Manager: NFF split over Siasia, Eguavoen

THE decision on who becomes the Super Eagles’ new coach should Swede Lars Lagerback refuse to accept the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) offer to continue managing the team has brought a big division in the ranks of the NFF. 
While some of the members favour Samson Siasia for the job due to his past successes with junior national teams, others say that the former striker had been involved in anti-NFF activities and therefore does not deserve anything from the federation. 
A top NFF board member, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian shortly before departing for Nigeria that the federation was considering handing over the team to Siasia if Lagerback refused to return to the job. The official added, however, that some of members were against that action due to Siasia’s recent activities against the NFF. 
“These members also posit that it would be wrong to make Siasia head the technical crew when Austin Eguavoen is the team’s head coach,” the official said. “Some people also believe that making Siasia head of the team will brew acrimony among the coaches because Eguavoen has always been ahead of Siasia in hierarchy. 
“But then there are those who believe that making Siasia the head of the crew will be politically expedient for the board as Nigerians, who are currently angry with the NFF following the disastrous outing in South Africa, might support the board for taking the right decision.” 
The official revealed that in the absence of Lagerback, Eguavoen would be empowered to hold forth pending when a decision would be taken on whatever Lagerback decides to do after meeting with the board. 
When contacted, NFF Technical Committee chairman, Taiwo Ogunjobi, said the federation had not made any decision on the person to head the coaching crew, adding that Lagerback still had an existing contract with the federation. 
He disclosed that the technical committee would meet with the NFF executive committee in Abuja later in the week to submit its report on Nigeria’s participation at the World Cup. The report, he added, also suggests the way forward for Nigerian football.

Guardian