NEWLY appointed Technical Adviser of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Paul LeGuen
yesterday turned down his appointed and immediately declared that his lack of
intention to manage the country’s senior national team was communicated to
the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, since Saturday.
The report of his refusal to work as Super Eagles man-in-charge first emerged
on French- based magazine, L’ Euipe, and spread on social media less than 24
hours after the Technical and Development Committee of NFF recommended
him to take over. The report further quoted the magazine as saying: “Pour info :
Paul le Guen n’ira pas au Nigeria. Les conditions pas réunies pour être
sélectionneur. Rien à voir aujourd’hui avec la selection,” which was translated
as ”Paul Le Guen rejects Nigeria. Frenchman insists the country’s FA (NFF) yet
to meet terms & conditions to be coach.” Confirming the latest development
which many stakeholders described as shameful, NFF spokesman, Ademola
Olajire exclusively told Nigerian Pilot Sports that talks later broke down between
the country’s football authority and the Frenchman, adding that Head Coach
Salisu Yusuf has been asked to take over. Olajire equally told our correspondent
that Le Guen after going through the terms and conditions which were captured
in his contract terms, expressed non-readiness to stay in Nigeria while working
as Super Eagles handler. He also disclosed that the former Cameroon’s
Indomitable Lions gaffer rejected the clause tagging his contract to the
qualification of 2018 World Cup. Talking about the Frenchman’s claim that he
had informed NFF that he won’t be willing to coach Eagles two days before its
Technical Committee went ahead to recommend and announce him as the man
for the job, Olajire maintained that “nobody is aware of the fact that he turned
down the offer before Monday. Even the President of NFF Amaju Pinnick spoke
to him on Monday evening and he didn’t say anything that showed he won’t
take up the job. “The calibre of the persons in the technical committee, including
the likes of Paul Bassey and other eminent Nigerians,
won’t have gone ahead to recommend him. Up till now (Tuesday evening), he
has not written to the federation after he was dully communicated.” Super
Eagles have been without a permanent coach since February this year, after
Sunday Oliseh walked out on the team currently ranked 70th in the world,
claiming his contract has been severally breached. The three-time African
champions are drawn in a tough 2018 World Cup qualifying group that has
Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia. Le Guen: ‘I never applied for Eagles’ job’ The
sensational refusal of Frenchman Paul Le Guen to become the Technical Adviser
of Nigeria’s Super Eagles has again opened another can of worms in the day-
to-day administrative lapses existing with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
Nigeria Pilot Sports exclusively gathered that Le Guen who had coached
Cameroon never applied to coach the country’s Senior National team. Sources
within the Glasshouse, headquarters of NFF disclosed that at no point did the
Technical and Development committee of the federation arrange any interview
with the former footballer who made it clear that he wasn’t interested in
coaching Super Eagles even before his was recommended to the country’s
football authority by the committee. The Source who pleaded anonymity
maintained that the low point of Nigerian football has been compounded by the
recent job scandal occasioned by claims by NFF’s hierarchy that Le Guen was
interviewed via an internet means, Skype on Monday when his recommendation
was equally made. “Nobody can trace anything that looks like the Frenchman
applied to coach Super Eagles in the first place. So the issue of agreeing to the
terms and conditions put to him by NFF does not arise. “For the fact that he
didn’t apply in the first place shows the man has no interest at all in the job.
What I personally thought the technical committee, including
the likes of Paul Bassey and other eminent Nigerians,
won’t have gone ahead to recommend him. Up till now (Tuesday evening), he
has not written to the federation after he was dully communicated.” Super
Eagles have been without a permanent coach since February this year, after
Sunday Oliseh walked out on the team currently ranked 70th in the world,
claiming his contract has been severally breached. The three-time African
champions are drawn in a tough 2018 World Cup qualifying group that has
Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia. Le Guen: ‘I never applied for Eagles’ job’ The
sensational refusal of Frenchman Paul Le Guen to become the Technical Adviser
of Nigeria’s Super Eagles has again opened another can of worms in the day-
to-day administrative lapses existing with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
Nigeria Pilot Sports exclusively gathered that Le Guen who had coached
Cameroon never applied to coach the country’s Senior National team. Sources
within the Glasshouse, headquarters of NFF disclosed that at no point did the
Technical and Development committee of the federation arrange any interview
with the former footballer who made it clear that he wasn’t interested in
coaching Super Eagles even before his was recommended to the country’s
football authority by the committee. The Source who pleaded anonymity
maintained that the low point of Nigerian football has been compounded by the
recent job scandal occasioned by claims by NFF’s hierarchy that Le Guen was
interviewed via an internet means, Skype on Monday when his recommendation
was equally made. “Nobody can trace anything that looks like the Frenchman
applied to coach Super Eagles in the first place. So the issue of agreeing to the
terms and conditions put to him by NFF does not arise. “For the fact that he
didn’t apply in the first place shows the man has no interest at all in the job.
What I personally thought the technical committee would have done was to
make do with those who indicated interest and not force the job on someone
who wasn’t interested,” He added. Nothing has been heard from federal
government on their next line of action with many demanding stiffer action on
the leadership of Amaju Pinnick-led NFF. Super Eagles have been without a
permanent coach since February this year after Sunday Oliseh walked out on
the team currently ranked 70 in the world claiming his contract has been
severally breached. The three-time African champions are drawn in a tough
2018 World Cup qualifying group that has Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia. We
never appointed him, NFF recants Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has
sensationally recanted, insisting it never said Paul Le Guen was the new
Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles, saying all sub–committees in the
federation could only make recommendations to the board. A statement by the
NFF on Monday said: ‘’The Technical and Development Committee of the
Nigeria Football
Federation on Monday named Frenchman Paul Le Guen, 52, as the new
Technical Adviser of the Senior National Team, Super Eagles. He will be
assisted by Nigerian Salisu Yusuf, who takes the role of Chief Coach. The
appointments are subject to agreement of contract terms with the NFF
Executive Committee.” Last night, chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity
Committee, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande dismissed reports in local and
international media of the Frenchman’s rejection of the position as simply
preposterous. “The press statement was clear, to the effect that all
appointments made at the Technical and Development Committee meeting were
mere recommendations, which had to be deliberated upon and agreed to by the
Board. No sub – committee in the NFF, except the judicial bodies, takes
decisions. They only make recommendations. “In truth, the Technical and
Development Committee perused the profiles of all the coaches who submitted
applications and find Mr. Paul Le Guen suitable for the post. But during final
negoatiations, he objected to being given a target .
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