Eric Chelle: Has NFF found a messiah? (1)

At long, long last, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has given the nation’s football family a New Year gift. He is Eric Sekou Chelle, who is now the Head Coach of the Super Eagles. Chelle, born of a French father and Malian mother, was unveiled along with his sidekicks on Monday at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja. His engagement has ended the angst over the vacuum created by the exit of Jose Peseiro, briefly filled by Finidi George. Head Coach George’s (tempestuous) reign lasted for 30 days, and will go down in history as the shortest in the coach-ship of the Super Eagles. Chelle thus becomes the 42nd gaffer to lead the senior national soccer team and the first of African descent, even though his father is of French nationality.

Permit me to drag you down the memory lane and for the benefit of the new helmsman. The Nigerian soccer evolution has been overseen by no fewer than 41 coaches in the past seven decades, cutting across different continents, such as Europe, Latin America and even the Middle East. Among them were: Jack Finch (England and ex-Fulham, 1949) who led the Red Devils (so-called because of their red top shirts) to conquer Sierra Leone 2 – 0 on October 8, 1949, before then, they were known as the UK Tourists); Dan Anyiam became the first local gaffer to handle the national squad between 1954 and 1956.

Another English coach, Les Courtier, took over from 1956 to 1960. Then, came Moshe “Jerry” Beit Levi from Israel of all nations (1960 – 1961) when the team was renamed the Green Eagles. The George Vardar from Hungary stepped in as the handler between 1961 and 1963. Nigeria turned to England again and picked Joey Blackwell (1963 – 1964). Dan Anyiam resurfaced between 1964 and 1965. Another Hungarian, Jozsef Ember, was picked to lead the team from 1965 to 1968. Between 1968 and 1969, Sabino Barinaga handled the team. Teslim Thunder Balogun became the second homeboy to coach the national squad, leading them to the 1968 Olympics where they were forced to a 3 -3 draw by the almighty Brazil, complete with Pele, after being three goals up in the first half. Peter ‘Eto’ Amaechina became the third indigenous gaffer to handle the team between 1969 and 1970.

Nigeria turned to Germany for Karl-Heinz Marotzke who had a two-year stint – 1970 to 1971. Jorge Penna (1972 – 1973) became the first coach from Brazil to lead the team, again renamed the Golden Eagles by Gen. Yakubu Gowon for winning the soccer gold medal at the 2nd All-Africa Games hosted by Nigeria in 1973. Marotzke came back briefly in 1974 to re-coach the team. But there was no light at the end of the tunnel until the emergence of Jelisavcic Tiki in 1974. Fondly referred to as “Father Tiko”, the tactician from the old Yugoslavia, was saddled with the tinkering of the Green Eagles with an eye on the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations.

Tiko had handled the Australian national team before coming to Nigeria. A dyed-in-the-wool apostle of 4-3-3, he spent two years grooming the team fitting them with the characteristics of eagles – strong in the wings, sharp claws (midfield) and deadly in attack (the beaks). Among the local talents he assembled were Christian Chukwu (skipper), ‘keepers Joe Erico and Emma Okala, Godwin Odiye, Sam Ojebode, Muda Lawal, Alloysius “Blockbuster” Atuegbu, Sam Ojebode, Baba Otu Mohammed, Kunle Awesu, Kelechi “Caterpillar” Emetiole, Ogidi Ibeabuchi and Thompson Usiyan. Tiko’s major task was to qualify the Eagles for the 1976 AFCON Tournament staged in Ethiopia.

Barely two years in the saddle, Tiko did not only deliver on his mandate but also return with a bronze medal that was adored as gold back home.  The Green Eagles lived up to its characteristics at the tournament, consequently producing Kunle Awesu (left) and Baba Otu Mohammed (right), who were voted as the best wingers at the tournament. The philosophy was sustained by Tiko’s successor, Prof. Otto Gloria from Brazil, who produced right-winger Segun “Mathematical” Odegbami and left-winger Adokiye “Justice” Amiesimaka that were instrumental to our winning the first-ever AFCON diadem in 1980.

After Tiko and Otto Gloria had laid the foundation for the Green Eagles, a mix of indigenous and foreign handlers bestrode the nation’s soccer space at various times. Some returned good results; others performed terribly. Names like Sebastian Broderick Imasuen, Chris Udemezue, Paul Hamilton, Patrick Ekeji, Festus Adegboye Onigbinde, Gentlema Carl O’dwyer, Willy Bazuaye, surfaced among the local coaches. At the turn of the 90s, when the Green Eagles had metamorphosed to Super Eagles because of their silver winning accomplishment at the 1988 AFCON tournament in Morocco, Dutchman Clemence Westerhof surfaced along with his assistant, Johaness Bonfrere. Westerhof keyed into the philosophy of Father Tiko and Otto Gloria while assembling his team drawn from our local leagues. For four solid years, he quietly built a formidable squad around highly talented young boys like Stephen Keshi, Finidi George, Emmanuel Amuneke, Victor Ikpeba, Samson Siasia, Dan “the Bull” Amokachi, Sunday Oliseh, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Augustine Eguavoen, Ben Iroha, Peter Rufai, Victor Ikpeba, among others that blossomed by 1994. They were all virtually unknown beyond the shores of the land until Tunisia ’94 AFCON which they won. That squad was to take the entire soccer world by storm at the USA ‘94.       

After the glorious Westerhof era, we had some foreign coaches that found his shoes too large for their feet. Although we qualified for the next World Cup Finals in France (1998) with Philippe Troussier, also known as White Witchdoctor in charge, the then Nigeria Football Association found him not good enough to lead the team to France. Another handler named Bora Milutinovic was hurriedly brought in as a replacement.

The Super Eagles failed to replicate the exploits of USA ’94 and were summarily dismissed at the knockout stage. Out of shame, Bora bolted away from France; he never returned to Nigeria. We also made it to the Japan/Korea 2002 FIFA World Cup Finals. And history repeated itself. Shuaibu Amodu secured the ticket for Nigeria but was shoved aside and Festus Onigbinde was hired to handle the squad. Like Bora, Onigbinde and his young lads were thrown out in the very first round. We were conspicuously missing at the 2006 World Cup Finals staged in Germany. Then, we saw the emergence of Berti Vogt recruited from Germany. Vogt was in charge at the 2008 AFCON but Nigeria failed to impress. The German was an absentee coach. He would only show up a couple of weeks ahead of any engagements and disappear immediately after.

Vogt was promptly fired to set the stage for perhaps, the most controversial recruitment of a foreign coach in the annals of Nigeria’s football. Among the coaches shortlisted for an interview were England’s ex-international, Glenn Hoddles, and Lars Lagerback from Sweden. The Englishman accused the interviewing panel of corruption. He alleged that they wanted to mark up his pay illegally. He turned down the deal. But Lagerback eventually got the job. It was argued that he handled the Swedish national team that defeated the Super Eagles at the group stage of the Japan/Korea World Cup Finals. The feat swayed his employers to his side.

The Swede was to take Nigeria to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals in South Africa. Lagerback was technically backward and got confused at every stage of the first round. He had to consult the likes of Kanu Nwankwo at the dugout for help. After Lagerback’s inglorious exit, Stephen Keshi was brought in to handle the team, following his exploits with the Hawks of Togo. The Big Boss, as he was nicknamed because of his commanding role as the Super Eagles’ skipper,  led the team to qualify for the 2013 AFCON held in South Africa and went on to clinch the trophy against all odds. At various times, Samson Siasia and Sunday Oliseh filled the gap until Gernot Rohr was contracted for the job. The Franco-German tactician qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia and the 2019 AFCON in Egypt with nothing tangible to show for his efforts. He also got the ticket for the last but one AFCON in Cameroon and wobbled to the playoff for the Qatar 2022 World Cup Finals. He was promptly thrown out and the NFF’s Technical Director, Austin Eguavoen, was drafted to hold the fort. The outcome of which is now history.

Then, Jose Peseiro emerged from nowhere. The Technical and Development Sub-Committee of the NFF had shortlisted four names for the job including Peseiro. The candidates were ex-Barcelona gaffer, Ernesto Valverde, former France National coach, Laurent Blanc, ex-Derby County tactician, Phillip Cocu and Jose Peseiro. The ex-NFF boss, Amaju Pinnick, favoured the Portuguese for the job, despite his weak credentials.