A member of the executive board of the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) has explained why the club settled for Super Eagles chief coach Salisu Yusuf as coach of the U23 team.
Although the appointment is yet to be officially confirmed by the football house, the board member who spoke with Owngoalnigeria.com on the condition of anonymity revealed Yusuf is their first choice for the job.
He also confirmed that coach of El-Kanemi Warriors Imama Amapakabo will serve as assistant to the Yusuf at the U23s due to what the football house has observed with the U23s, particularly the last one coached by Samson Siasia.
” Most nations usually use their their senior national team coach as head of their U23s, because almost all the players in the team are deemed good enough for the senior national team. We choose to have the assistant coaches of our senior national team”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com in an exclusive chat.
” We have also noticed that since Nigeria have been going to the Olympics, there have been no player who was discovered at that level. Most of them have played at the senior level before their involvement in the team.
” Look at the last team of Samson Siasia that won bronze in Rio. The main players of the team have played for the Super Eagles before their involvement at the Olympics. The ones who haven’t played are yet to step up to the Super Eagles level.
” That experience made us to settle for Salisu Yusuf and Imama Amapakabo. It will be a waste of money to employ another coach who will use almost identical players like the one in the senior team”.
Ade EmmanuelÂ
