Knocks as Bewarang joins Dream Team in Brazil for tie against Denmark

In a move seen by some Nigerian football lovers as ‘unnecessary,’ the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Bitrus Bewarang has arrived in Brazil to join the U-23 team as they prepare for a crucial match against Denmark.
 
The Dream Team departed Sao Paulo on Thursday morning for Salvador, where they will confronts Denmark at the Arena Fonte Nova tomorrow evening.The team, which had earlier defeated Japan 5-4 and Sweden 1-0 to book a quarterfinal ticket, went down 0-2 to Colombia in yesterday’s final Group B game.

According to thenff.com, Bewarang, a former Super Eagles’ assistant coach, left Lagos same Wednesday night, aboard a South African Airways flight, and then connected Sao Paulo from Johannesburg. He was due to be at the team’s camp in Salvador yesterday evening. 

Some Nigerians are not comfortable with the arrangement saying that his presence could course some distractions in the camp, especially, when he had not been part of the team’s build up to the Games. Bewarang was appointed National Technical Director of the NFF in July, following the death of Shuaibu Amodu, who was occupying the position.

Bewarang first official work was on July 31, when he visited the NFF\FIFA Goal Project to monitor the Golden Eaglets’ training session ahead of their 2017 Africa U-17 qualifier against Niger Republic, which the Nigerian team narrowly won 1-0.

Some Nigerians who spoke on his trip to Brazil yesterday said that the NFF should have allowed Siasia and his assistants conclude the Rio Olympic Games assignment without the interference of another coach.

“I am saying this because the sudden appearance of Bewarang in the team’s camp in Brazil could course disaffection among the technical crew members and that could be costly for Nigeria,” one fan who gave his name as Moses said on a radio programme in Lagos yesterday.