Sports

See Presidency Decision in Super Eagles Coaching Appointment

Published by Tope Fakinlede on August 10th, 2024.

See Presidency Decision n Super Eagles Coaching Appointment

FIRST CLASS GISTS has reported that the Presidency has intervened to halt the announcement of the new Super Eagles coach. The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) was set to reveal Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet as the new head of the national team on Wednesday.

However, the Presidency expressed concerns about Saintfiet’s recent performance history, leading to the cancellation of the announcement. Saintfiet, who previously managed Gambia, has had a challenging stint with The Philippines, where his team lost all seven matches, including four 2026 World Cup qualifiers, failing to score and conceding 18 goals.

Sources indicate that a former NFF president is a prominent supporter of the 51-year-old Belgian coach. Saintfiet was shortlisted by the NFF’s technical committee but was not initially a top contender, especially after NFF officials declined to meet with his representatives during the Paris Olympics.

Recently, following the rejection of Herve Renard’s offer to coach the Super Eagles, the NFF revisited Saintfiet’s candidacy, making a surprising reversal.

A senior official commented on the situation, stating, “The NFF has mishandled the appointment of a new coach. With less than a month before our opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin, we still lack a coach. This situation reflects serious mismanagement.”