Don’t fall to blackmail of ex-internationals, Chike Arisa warns NFF

WITH Nigeria Football Federation,
NFF, set to announce Samson Siasia’s
successor this week, ex-international
Chike Arisa has warned the football house
to be careful with ex-internationals
angling to take up national teams
coaching jobs.
Arisa who is based in the Netherlands is
livid that ex-internationals now see
coaching of the national team as their
birthright, their background in coaching
notwithstanding.
He fumed that people who have little or no
coaching experience are jostling to coach
the Super Eagles simply because they once
played for the national team.
“We must make it known to them that
the credentials of coaching the Super
Eagles do not include having played for
the national team. No. It does not follow
that way. Enough is enough. They have
had their fair chance and have also
bungled it. We must move beyond that”,
Arisa said on our hotline.
Apparently having followed the Samson
Siasia saga on the internet, Arisa said
that he found insulting statements
credited to some ex-internationals whom
he said flouted the proverb that says ‘’dog
does not eat dog”.
“It is only in Nigeria that ex-
internationals spoil for action because
they once played. That is not reasonable.
Anyone who wants to go into coaching
should first prove his mettle at the club
level before being assigned a massive job of
coaching our national team.
Some of us after playing for the nation
are acquiring coaching certificates and
coaching clubs while others cross their legs
looking for the plum job of coaching a
national team. It is ridiculous.
That is why our football is not growing
because those who administer it fall easily
to sentiments and blackmail by these ex-
internationals”, a highly angry Arisa
said.
Reflecting on the Siasia’s regime, Arisa
said that Siasia was better than most of
those who are lobbying to take over his job.
“Siasia, no doubt, was a good coach but he
failed because he had no training on
player-coach relationship. He couldn’t
manage that.
Thats where he got it wrong and paid the
price. If Nigeria truly wants to rebuild,
they should look for a foreign coach who
is ready to work.
There are very good foreign coaches but
the problem is that our officials corrupt
them with bogus salary only to go back to
get their own share. It’s sad to see the
Eagles and indeed football fall so badly in
a country that is as blessed as Brazil with
talents. Definitely, ex-internationals
would not lead us to the promised land”,
Arisa emphasised.