Posted by Onochie Anibeze on
The treatment meted to Phillipe Troussier in Nigeria in 1997 influenced his decision to decline Nigeria Football Association offer to coach the Super Eagles.
The treatment meted to Phillipe Troussier in Nigeria in 1997 influenced his decision to decline Nigeria Football Association offer to coach the Super Eagles.
Troussier qualified Nigeria for the France ‘98 World Cup but they still sacked him because, in the estimation of football authorities then, he was not a "world class coach."
And their understanding of a "world class coach" was any coach who has coached a team to the World Cup.
Troussier was shocked that in spite of his performance, Nigerians still expected more from him.
And Mike Itemuagbor explained yesterday that "such high expectations from Nigerians made him to change his mind and decline the offer to coach Eagles at this critical time."
Itemuagbor was one of the ten men who went to London to search for foreign coach for Nigeria.
He is NFA's marketer and represented Globacom on the trip. Globacom, the NFA sponsors were to pay Troussier's salary.
Said Itemuagbor: "I spoke with the man this morning and while it may be difficult for some people to understand, I see with the man even if I don't agree with him. He said that Nigerians are full of high expectations and always very difficult to satisfy. He recalled that Nigerians were not satisfied after he qualified Nigeria for the World Cup and that they wanted him to be beating teams with wide margin. And from what he understood from the internet this time, Nigerians are already feeling that by his coming, Nigeria will surely go to the World Cup. He is sure that he would win the two matches but is highly disturbed that even if he wins the matches Nigeria may still not go to the World Cup if Angola also win theirs. He said that if that happens, Nigeria will still not understand and would blame him for their failure.
Having been sacked in his first coming, the man didn't want to miss the point this time around and decided that he will not take the job now that Nigeria have only two matches to the end of the World Cup qualifying series. He says that he is no magician and would prefer to go and do his knee operation than gamble with his reputation."