I’m still Super Eagles chief
coach – Amodu
By KUNLE SOLAJA
Thursday, February 18,
2010
Amodu
Shaibu Amodu, the embattled
coach of the Super Eagles,
Wednesday said nothing had
changed regarding his
position in the national team.
“I am still the chief coach of
the Super Eagles. In fact, I
am reporting to camp in
Abuja Thursday where the
home-based Super Eagles
are training ”, the coach
added.
He said that his position
remained the same despite
the search for a foreign
technical adviser for the
Super Eagles. Flipping
through the contract he
signed with the then NFA in
May 2008, coach Amodu
pointed to the Article 10
paragraph 2.6 of the
document which states: In the
event of the football
governing body deciding to
employ a foreign technical
adviser, the chief coach is
irrevocably committed to
work with the technical
adviser.
“ In essence, nothing has
changed. The position of the
foreign technical adviser had
been there from the
beginning. It is just now that
the NFF feels it can employ
the man. I am prepared to
work with any world-class
technical adviser that may be
employed ”, said Amodu.
He further pointed out that
contrary to the widely -held
belief that he had been
sacked or demoted, he said
it was far from being the
truth. He said handling of the
Team B of the national team
was part of his brief when he
became the chief coach in
May 2008. Article 1,
paragraph 5 of his contract
spells out that he will be in
charge of the national teams
which is interpreted in the
contract to mean “the senior
male national team “A”
otherwise known as Super
Eagles, or other
representative national
teams ”.
Amodu explained that he
would have been in charge
of the home-based national
team that crashed out of the
2009 African Nations
Championship (CHAN), but the
NFF did not want any
distraction on the World Cup
programme, hence coach
Emordi was asked to handle
the team.
He added that the programme
he drew for the World Cup
and CHAN are still being
implemented. He said that the
apparent public displeasure
of him started after the 2-2
home draw with Tunisia last
September. “That was the
beginning of the pressure on
me.
“ I can’t understand the
result, because it was a
game I thought we could win
and should have won. The
outcome brought to question,
the level of maturity of my
players ”, said Amodu who
admitted he is still under
severe pressure.
January 27, 2010, 07:18:50 AM