CurrentReport Blog Allen Onyema, the CEO of Airpeace, has voiced his strong opposition against the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) inclination towards hiring another foreign coach for the national team, the Super Eagles.
This outcry comes amidst the team’s current interim leadership vacuum following the expiration of Jose Peseiro’s contract in February.
Taking the reins temporarily is former international player, Finidi George, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of guiding the team through upcoming friendly matches against Ghana and Mali.
Onyema, a fervent supporter of the Super Eagles, expressed his reservations regarding the persistent preference for foreign coaching talent over local expertise. Speaking to City People Online, he emphasized the need for the NFF to explore homegrown coaching talent before looking elsewhere.
“I don’t see the reason why we cannot have a look into the country and get somebody out there that will take on the Super Eagles,” Onyema asserted. “As far as I am concerned, Eguavoen succeeded to some level. A lot of them succeeded.”
He highlighted a prevailing bias against Nigerian coaches, citing a discrepancy in the appraisal of their performance compared to their foreign counterparts. Onyema pointed out that Nigerian coaches often receive less credit for their achievements, while foreign coaches are shielded from criticism even in the face of underwhelming results.
“The truth is that when a foreign coach bows out from the group stage, nobody talks; when a Nigerian coach bows out from Quarterfinals or semi-finals, oh, if it had been a foreign coach, we would have won the cup,” Onyema lamented. “Nobody gives Nigerian coaches a chance.”
In a resolute call to action, Onyema urged Nigerians to stand against any move by the NFF to appoint foreign coaches over locally available talent, labeling such decisions as detrimental to the nation’s footballing progress.
“Nigerians should rise up against any NFF that goes again to get any idiot as a foreign coach,” he declared.
