Behind every successful coach or manager, there’s a backroom staff. A head coach is as good as his backroom staff.
While I join millions of Nigerians especially stakeholders to commend Austin Eguavoen for a job welldone, I must specially thank his backroom staff made up of the trio of Fidelis Ilechukwu, Daniel Ogunmodede and Olatunji Baruwa for their support, humility, team-play and cooperation with Eguavoen.
If Super Eagles had lost both AFCON fixtures to Benin Republic and Rwanda perhaps there would have been an argument that Eguavoen’s backroom staff didn’t support him. Some would say they sabotaged him.
Some experts would have argued further that the trio lacked the required and necessary experience to assist Eguavoen since they weren’t ex-internationals.
Others would have even said the backroom staff who are home based coaches were scared of the superstars in the team who are all foreign based players.
They would have argued that the coaches couldn’t control the players let alone pass instructions to them during training sessions hence the results.
But thankfully we didn’t get these arguments. Instead Super Eagles secured four out of the six available points. Eguavoen deserves all the plaudits just as his backroom staff must get a pat on the back for truly giving him the backup.
Kudos Ilechukwu. Thumbs-up Ogunmodede. Bravo Baruwa. You all did well. You represented your colleagues in the NPFL solidly. You did not only make them proud. You made a bold case for their inclusion in national team assignments just as you have made a bold statement for indigenous coaches for all tiers of our national teams and for both genders.
You have brought back the memories of great indigenous coaches living or dead…Dan Anyiam, Eto Amaechinam, Etemeke, Alabi Aissien, Chris Udemezue, Sebastian Brodericks, Paul Hamilton, Tunde Disu, Willy Bazuaye, Christian Chukwu, Stephen Keshi, Amodu Shuaibu, Joe Erico, Adeboye Onigbinde, Monday Sinclair, Ben Duamlong and Bitrus Bewarang to mention just a few.
We hope the NFF retains your services.
