Former Super Eagles midfielder, Paul Okoku, has recently shared his thoughts on the qualities that the next head coach of the national team should possess. According to Okoku, the chosen coach must have a proven track record of developing young talents and implementing a dynamic attacking style of play. In addition to this, he highlighted the importance of fostering a positive team culture, managing player relations effectively, and treating players with dignity and respect.
Having been a part of the silver-winning Eagles squad at the 1984 AFCON and a former U-20 assistant captain, Okoku believes that the next coach should be accountable and must believe in recruiting talents from home-based players. This would encourage healthy competition between professional and domestic players to flourish, and create a balanced team that can compete at the highest level.
Okoku suggested that an indigenous coach who is qualified for the role should be considered. He cited the late Stephen Keshi as an example of a no-nonsense coach who commanded respect from both home-based and internationally-based elite players. He emphasized that the chosen coach must be honest, trustworthy, and selected on merit, rather than being hired based on favoritism.
In Okoku’s opinion, a coach with the aforementioned qualities has the potential to help develop young talents and implement a dynamic attacking style of play. This would not only benefit the Super Eagles but also Nigerian football as a whole.
