Advocating for Local Talent
Former Super Eagles head coach, Samson Siasia, has expressed his opposition to the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) consideration of hiring a foreign manager for the national team. With Nigeria struggling in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the NFF is reportedly seeking external expertise.
Siasia dismissed the idea, stating, “We don’t want any foreign coach here because they are not coming to do anything. We have enough good materials at home that we should not be talking about hiring a foreign coach.”
Current Performance and Challenges
The Super Eagles currently sit fifth in their six-team group with just three points from four matches, behind Rwanda, South Africa, Benin Republic, and Lesotho. Their disappointing start includes three draws and one loss, raising concerns about the team’s direction under interim head coach Austin Eguavoen.
Call for Leadership Clarity
Siasia also weighed in on Eguavoen’s dual roles as the Super Eagles’ interim coach and the NFF’s technical director. While Eguavoen led the team to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) next year, his future with the Super Eagles remains uncertain.
Siasia advised, “Eguavoen has a job already as the technical director. He should resign as Super Eagles manager and concentrate on his job. He cannot hold two positions at the same time. He should actually decide on which one to hold and leave the other.”
Personal Comeback
Siasia’s remarks come as he recently completed a five-year ban imposed by FIFA for a match-fixing allegation. The ban, initially a lifetime penalty, was reduced to five years on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in 2019.
With the World Cup qualifiers set to resume next year, the NFF faces critical decisions on leadership and strategy for the national team.
