Former international Victor Ikpeba insisted that only the best will get the Super Eagles coach plump job, saying Nigeria deserves a good coach who will deliver results.
The 1997 CAF African Footballer of the Year, who is a member of the NFF technical committee, that has been saddled with the responsibility of advising the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on who should replace Jose Peseiro as the next Super Eagles coach, said the NFF has no anointed candidate for the Eagles job.
“If the NFF had an anointed candidate, they would not have thrown open the selection. They would have quickly named such a coach and nothing would have happened,”Ikpeba told score nigeria.com.ng.
He said their committee, even though it is an advisory, will still do a good job notwithstanding various interests and influences that come with such a national assignment.
“There is a lot that has to be considered before you appoint a coach, you have to go beyond what many see or think. It is not the colour of the skin of a coach that should be considered. We deserve a coach who will get us results.
“Tribalism is one of the biggest problems in Nigeria. Can a local coach be above this problem?
“Yes, football unites the country, but we are a country of many tribes and whether we like it or not, we are often inclined to favour those from our tribes,” Ikpeba stated.
According to him, even the best football nations of the world do hire foreign coaches on merit stead of appointing their own native on sentiment.
“Even Brazil has considered hiring a foreigner (Carlo Ancelotti) to lead their national team and a proud country like England has also hired foreigners to take charge of their team.”