Posted by By FREDRICK EFOLE on
Sacked Under-20 coach, Godwin Koko Uwua, has cried to God to intervene in his problem with the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), saying that the soccer authorities had no right to sack him after qualifying the country for the FIFA World Youth Championship.
…Embattled Godwin Uwua seeks the face of his creator, after he was removed as U-20 coach
Sacked Under-20 coach, Godwin Koko Uwua, has cried to God to intervene in his problem with the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), saying that the soccer authorities had no right to sack him after qualifying the country for the FIFA World Youth Championship.
Lamenting bitterly, Uwua said only God would judge the people who recommended his sack because he had tried all he could to make a good impression of himself as national Under-20 coach.
Speaking after he was sacked, Uwua revealed how he had worked without payment since March last year. 'Since I started handling the Flying Eagles, I have not been paid, I was only given honorarium of a hundred thousand naira (N100,000).
Uwua, before his sack, always liked to defend the NFA, saying that all was well with the association. But now, he suddenly realized that the NFA owes him salaries from March last year.
'When I went to ask for my salary, the FA Secretary, Bolaji Ojo-Oba, refereed me to Amos Adamu. He said he was not the one that hired me.
'Well, if that is the prize to pay for being a patriotic Nigerian; if this is how I'll be treated, I leave it all to God to judge," he said.
The man, Uwua, has been one of the most successful coaches on the domestic scene, leading Lobi Bank FC of Makurdi to winning the first edition of the Super Cup in 1999, and also qualified Enyimba of Aba to her first CAF qualification in 2003. But he has not been that successful on the big stage.
Before the African Youth Championship (AYC) in Congo he boasted he would bring back the trophy, but the team he led to Congo have been the worst ever, inspite qualifying for the World Cup in Canada. That led to so many soccer-loving Nigerians asking for his sack.
Shocked at the way he was booted out, Uwua cries out.
'I made a mistake for not demanding for my pay before taking the job. Sacked or not, I still remain a quality coach. Ladan Boso, who is now in charge, is my boy; he has assisted me in the past five years. If they feel he can do the job well, I wish him the best of luck."
Uwua's problems started when he allegedly dropped some players from the team to the AYC, because they could not meet up with the money he demanded, claims, which he vehemently denied.
Because of the way the team played stakeholders in the game called for his immediate removal, which sparked off debates, but all that has been put to rest now.
Prior to the sack, there had been lots of doubts on the part of many Nigerians who believed the man's godfather would not allow them to sack him.
One Mr. Okere of No. 37 Ashafa Street said if Uwua is left on the job, it would be a clear indication that the country is rotten. Well, with the sacking of Uwua people who are in the same school of thought with him will breath a sigh of relief.
Eddy Hudanski, the coach of the victorious Congolese team, after beating Nigeria to lift the trophy, said the Nigerian squad have individual talented players, and that they are not a team.
With Nigerians disappointed at the Flying Eagles' outing in Congo, Uwua still believes the NFA should take the blame for the poor showing.
He still prides himself as the man that qualified the Flying Eagles to Canada.
Loquacious Uwua became very humble in this interview, asking God to vindicate him.