W’Cup: NFF To Hire Foreign Technical Adviser For S’Eagles
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will employ an expatriate technical adviser for the Super Eagles following the team’s unimpressive performance in the ongoing 2026 World Cup qualifying series.
The Super Eagles are placed fifth in a six-team format with three points from a possible 12 having drawn three games and lost one. The loss has generated a lot of uproar with football stakeholders lamenting the fate of the Super Eagles.
However, in a move aimed at restoring some hope in the Super Eagles, the board of the NFF met on Thursday and decided to employ an expatriate technical adviser for the Super Eagles.
In a communiqué released after the meeting, the NFF “pledged to work assiduously and put necessary measures in place to ensure a better-prepared squad ahead of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers in September, this year, and the resumption of the World Cup qualifiers in March 2025.”
Consequently, the communiqué noted, “The Executive Committee resolved to employ an expatriate technical adviser for the Super Eagles in the coming weeks, ahead of the AFCON qualifiers and the remaining FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.”
While the NFF wholeheartedly apologised to Nigerians for the dismal output and subsequent very poor returns of the Super Eagles, the NFF also “resolved to beef up the NFF Technical Department with more qualitative hands. Equally, the Technical and Development Sub-Committee will be re-jigged with immediate effect.”
The players were also not spared by the NFF as the body “expressed displeasure with the poor attitude of some of the players to the national assignment, and unanimously decided in favour of a more robust scouting programme of outstanding Nigeria-eligible players from across the four corners of the universe, who can add tremendous value to the nation’s flagship team.”
Also, the NFF also resolved that a stakeholders’ forum be convened in a few weeks time, to deliberate on amendments to the current NFF statutes, in conjunction with world football-governing body, FIFA, even as the body promised to assist the Sports Ministry in preparing the Super Falcons for the Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has demanded that the NFF urgently put in place the necessary framework to ensure Nigeria qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in addition to addressing issues that have hindered high performances and growth of Nigerian football.
The meeting held on Thursday at the minister’s office in Abuja, touched on various areas including the current coach of the national team, the competence of both the NFF Technical Committee and Technical Department, discipline of players in the national team camp.
The minister and the NFF also deliberated on the introduction of new crop of Nigerian players wherever they can be found, to ensure the best legs represent the country at every given time.
Furthermore, the meeting delved into other more substantive matters said to be holding down Nigeria’s football development, including the expansion of the present membership of the NFF Congress, so as to make for more inclusive and greater representation.
The team of NFF officials and its technical team were given not more than one week to present its comprehensive position indicating the positive progressive steps that have been taken to get the team ready for the next round of competitive matches.
Expressing the disappointment of Nigerians and the government over the poor results in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Senator Enoh highlighted the country is in a critical situation being placed second from bottom, with just three points from four games out of a possible twelve a situation he considered out rightly unacceptable.
