Posted by By COSMAS OMEGOH on
Erstwhile Super Eagles' coach, Chief Adeboye Onigbinde, has thrown his weight behind the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), stating that their last week's 2010 World Cup target for the Eagles coaching crew was every inch in order.
•Onigbinde charges AAmodu
•Back NFA 0n 2010 W/C target
Erstwhile Super Eagles' coach, Chief Adeboye Onigbinde, has thrown his weight behind the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), stating that their last week's 2010 World Cup target for the Eagles coaching crew was every inch in order.
The NFA, last week, unveiled the quarter of Shuaibu Amodu, Daniel Amokachi, Fatai Amoo and Aloy Agu as the handlers of the Super Eagles and charged them to qualify Nigeria for the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola, and the World Cup same year in South Africa.
So far, analysts have raised questions on the target, wondering if that was all the coaches needed to do. But Onigbinde, who breezed into the country recently from Liberia and Djibouti, where he conducted a series of football clinics, said there was need for the coaches to be given a benchmark with which they could be assessed.
He told Saturday Sunsport that in handing out a national coaching assignment, there was need for the FA to indicate whether they assignment would be developmental or target oriented in nature.
'In football, there are basically two classes of coaches. There are those who are assigned to develop football in general, with a view to building a virile national side in future and there are those who are handed specific targets to accomplish on contract.
'Amodu and the rest of the coaching crew fall within the second category. That is where the NFA's target comes in. In some ways, that would be useful in determining the extent to which they fared in their assignment. So, it is normal," the vintage Onigbinde asserted.
The Modakeke high chief, who is CAF and FIFA instructor, said Nigeria's chances of qualifying and doing well at the continental and global football fiestas with Amodu on the saddle were very bright. He, however, admitted that the country's already late in her preparations for those competitions.
'Why not! Nigeria will qualify for the Nations Cup and World Cup in 2010, but it is important to say that we are starting late and that is not the right way to do things. Way back in 2006, an African country approached me and requested for a strategic programme to help them qualify for the 2010 competitions, that is the way we should be thinking.
'It is important to note that a World Cup season lasts for four years. As soon as one season stops, another one begins. Therefore, once one World Cup is over, we ought to start preparation for another immediately.
'To say that our 2010 World Cup preparation is late is like stating the obvious, but knowing the way we do things, we can still turn things around. All we need to do is to give strong administrative and moral support to the plans on ground and see how things will go.
'In 2002, we had virtually three months to prepare for the World Cup. Though we didn't do so well in that tournament, we didn't disgrace Nigeria either," he said.
Asked to assess the current Super Eagles' squad, Onigbinde said the team do not exist at the moment and added that it would be difficult to place a mark on the team at the moment until Amodu swung into action.
'Super Eagles are not in existence at the moment. No one can rightly say what the strength of the team is since after Ghana 2008. Amodu needs to begin work on the team for us to see where we are going."
He urged Amodu to forge ahead with the team and not to allow his N1.2million pay packet, which is a far cry from Berti Vogts' $56,000 monthly pay distract him.
'He should forge ahead with the team and not allow the difference between what he will earn and what German Coach Vogts was earning to distract him. I know that motivation is very important, but he should not let money be an issue for now. Let him be guided by patriotism, let him be focused on achieving results for the country.
'Between 1982 and 1985 when I was with the team, my salary was N10,000 but I didn't let that border me. My counselled to Amodu is that he should make achievement his focus," he advised.