It is official. The decision makers at the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) have chosen Paul Le Guen as the manager to lead the Super Eagles campaign to qualify for the next FIFA World Cup in Russia in two years time.
It will be recalled that the Nigerian National Senior Men’s Soccer team, the Super Eagles are currently without a manager, as the interim coach which handled the team in their last couple of friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg, Shabu Amodu, died a couple of weeks back.
“He knows our players very well and how to use them. In our meeting with him earlier, Paul (Le Guen) demonstrated to us his capacity to turn around our football. We are also looking at reaping from his knowledge of both Cameroun where he coached the Indomitable Lions and Algeria who are desperate to have him,” a top NFF official revealed.
Le Guen, 52, who was sacked as Oman’s head coach after his side lost 2-1 to Turkmenistan on November 17 last year, is also believed to have agreed a three-year $50,000 per month deal to lead Eagles to the promise land in Russia.
The draws for Russia 2018 world Cup qualifiers have been released and Nigeria was pitched against Africa’s football power houses like Algeria, Cameroun and Zambia in Group B. This many believe is the reason for the prompt appiontment of Le Guen.
Other foreign managers also in fray to grab the job from Le Guen who also once coached Scottish side Rangers and PSG, include Felix Magath, Harry Redknapp, Henrique Calisto, Tom Saintfiet and the man who gave Nigeria her first ever ticket to the World Cup in 1994, Dutchman Clemens Westerhof. Even Westerhof’s former assistant on the Eagles job, Jo Bonfrere is not left out in the race to handle the three-time African champions.
It was also revealed that the Abuja stadium is the new home to the Super Eagles team, and all Home Games will take place there.
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