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Eagles’ new foreign technical adviser may emerge today

By Gowon Akpodonor
27 July 2016   |   4:05 am
There were strong indications yesterday that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may have finally secured the services of a new foreign technical adviser for the Super Eagles.
The Super Eagles PHOTO: THENFF.COM.

The Super Eagles PHOTO: THENFF.COM.

• I can deliver 2018 World Cup ticket, Saintfiet tells football chiefs

There were strong indications yesterday that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may have finally secured the services of a new foreign technical adviser for the Super Eagles.

Last week, the nation’s football was engulfed in controversy when Frenchman, Paul Le Guen, turned down the Super Eagles job less than 24 hours after the NFF pronounced him the right candidate for the job. It prompted the NFF board to give the technical and development committee a seven-day ultimatum to secure a new manager for the team. The deadline expires today.

The Guardian learnt yesterday that the NFF board has joined members of the technical committee in the search for the foreign technical adviser.

A top official of the NFF told The Guardian yesterday that ‘everything’ concerning the engagement of a new technical adviser for the Super Eagles would be put to rest today.

“We don’t want a repeat of what happened last time when the Technical and Development committee made a pronouncement to Nigerians on the employment of the manager for the Super Eagles when it had not been concluded. We have been doing underground work since then and everything will come to an end, maybe tomorrow (today),” the official said.

Though, the NFF official refused to name the would-be Super Eagles foreign Technical Adviser, he said the new man had assured them that he has the quality to qualify Nigeria for the 2018 Russia FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria is in a difficult qualification group alongside three past African champions, Algeria, Cameroun and Zambia.

Meanwhile, one of the three candidates earlier shortlisted by the NFF Technical and Development committee for the Eagles job, Tom Saintfiet, is said to have sent words across to the football federation assuring it of his ability of taking Nigeria to Russia 2018.

The Technical committee had picked Paul Le Guen ahead of Saintfiet, but the Frenchman later turned down the offer.

According to Supersport.com, Saintfiet, a Belgian, has put up his hand saying he is the man for the job. “I am convinced in my qualities and in myself as a coach. I can take Nigeria to Russia. I am convinced about the current crop of players. I first admired Nigeria in 1994 under Clemens Westerhof and since then I have followed the game in Nigeria. Remember, I was appointed technical director of the (Nigeria) football federation in 2012 but the minister of sports turned it back after a few weeks,” Saintfiet stated from Dhaka in Bangladesh.

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