Reports suggest that the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has finalized a shortlist of three coaches, one of whom will be selected as the next head coach of the Super Eagles.
The three potential candidates are: Emmanuel Amunike, Domenec Torrent, and Antonio Conceicao.
Expressing his opinion on the selection, Solace Chukwu, the Site coordinator of AfrikFoot NG, stated, “It appears that these three individuals emerged as the top choices from a pool of applicants, which may not have been very impressive to begin with.”
While Conceicao boasts strong credentials, Amunike, the only local coach in contention, has excelled in coaching Nigeria’s U17 team to a FIFA U17 World Cup victory and led Tanzania to their first Africa Cup of Nations appearance in almost four decades. However, his coaching stints with Misr Lel Makkasa in Egypt and Zanaco in Zambia were not as successful.
Conceicao, aged 62, has prior experience managing Cameroon and guided them to a third-place finish in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations before his tenure ended in 2022.
On the other hand, Torrent, a former assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, has transitioned into a head coaching role with tenures at various clubs in different leagues across the world.
The choice of a foreign coach over a local one has raised questions within the football community. Chukwu believes that while there might be a bias towards foreign coaches, the lack of sufficient credentials and accomplishments by Nigerian coaches also play a significant role in this trend.
Considering Amunike for the role, Chukwu states, “The decision ultimately depends on the qualifications of the foreign candidates compared to Amunike’s. While personally, I believe in the capabilities of Amunike and other indigenous coaches, objectivity demands a consideration of international experience, success, and innovative ideas, criteria that no Nigerian applicant has fully met.”