Foreign coach is big distraction to Eguaveon, Omokaro tells NFF

Former Super Eagles defender, Bright Omokaro, has said that the decision by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to appoint a foreign technical adviser, Jose Peerio, to work as an observer with the Super Eagles at Cameroon 2022 AFCON, is a big distraction to the interim coach Augustine Eguaveon.

Omokaro stated that the newly appointed foreign coach does not have any business being in Cameroun to observe the team, adding that the coach has a task to source for players in the NPFL, which has been neglected by his predecessor, Gernot Rohr.

“The NFF needs to direct the new manager to start travelling around Nigeria and watch the local league discover more domestic players, instead of sending him to Cameroon to observe a team already given to Eguaveon to handle,” he stated.

Omokaro revealed that the neglect of domestic players in selecting players for the Super Eagles has created a vacuum for lack of competition among players.

“I don’t understand why NFF is appointing a foreign coach to observe the Super Eagles in Cameroun. The major issue with Rohr was he didn’t watch the domestic league get quality players, and also did not have the technical know-how to make the Eagles play as a team. Clemens Westerhof and the late Stephen Keshi were the only coaches that did the right thing when we talk of healthy competition in the team. They sourced for domestic and foreign players and selected them without sentiments’’.

“NFF should allow Eguaveon to concentrate on the Eagles at the AFCON. I am sure Eguaveon will deliver in Cameroun because he has the experience to guide the team to victory. Sincerely, I am not in support of the appointment of a foreign coach for the Super Eagles since the team already has an interim manager for the AFCON,” Omokaro said.

Igwe C/The guradian