The biggest sporting event in the world, commensurate of the Olympics, is the FIFA World Cup. Then, you already knew that.
32 Nations deemed the best in the world, the hosts get a free pass, gather to establish an order of best teams over a one-month period, somewhere on this planet.The peoples of the qualified nations and Approximately 4billion other erthlings will be watching, taking bets, pushing their wives and husbands around, so no pressure at all.
The expectations are phenomenal.
Nigeria is going to the next World Cup in South Africa, 2010. Hallelujah I hear our faithful scream. Of course like everyone, including the ever-optimistic English, we will win this one.
Barely just making it on the final day, thanks to some heroic performances by some individual players, the new question is, should Nigeria engage a foreign or experienced coach to complete the job hereon?
In football, club teams compossed of multinationals who are internationals for their various countries are just as difficult to manage.
International teams are not easy to manage. They are mostly made of highly-paid individuals who more than likely play for foreign-based clubsides and have huge salaries to go with their jobs.
Most African teams rely on the participation of the better trained, coached and more physically-fit foreign-based players to progress in internationalf footballing competitions. They come at a huge price and with sometimes over inflated egos. They earn their wages inforeign currency, remember?
To manage either type of group of playes, club or national, requires a very strong coach/manager.
A strong manager needs some qualifications himself. Most importantly he must be a proven winner as a player and/or as a coach.
The toughest thing a national or club coach has to overcome is the egos of his players. The only way he will gain any respect and by extension command and shape his team as he desires, is by being able to show those players that he has been where they are and beyond.
Sir Alex Fergusson, forgive me for sticking my tongue out at him being a Liverpool supporter for life, is a magnificent example of a manager who has won it all at club level. Hence he commands the respect of his players regardless of their wages and superstardom.
When Fergie speaks, his players remain silent else they are thrown out of the team and easily replaced with willing and able others. Manchester United moves on along the path of success long established during Fergie’s reign. Enough about Fergie and Manchester United before I throw up.
Will Fergie translate into a great national team coah/manager? Luckily for him, Scotland has no meaningful global superstars of football these days so the answer is a very probable yes.
Before the 1994 World Cup in the USA, Carlos Alberto Parriera had to impose upon the destructive Romario that he Carlos Alberto played with the best-ever Brazillian team (’70) and had won the World Cup with that team. Romario had yet to win the World Cup though he was both European and World Footballer of the Year.
Romario behaved himself, fell in line, teamed up perfectly with Bebeto, brazil had a young 18 year old called Romario in that team and went ahead to win the World Cup in 1994.
Brazil’s captain at the 1994 World Cup was Carlos Dunga. He is brazils coach today and taking them to South Africa in 2010. Despite the huge wages and superstardom of present day players like Kaka and Robihno, he commands their respect and each time Brazil almost faltered on the way to South Africa, Dunga literally beat everyone into shape.
For Nigeria, it is time to recognize that our qualification for the next World Cup was a stressful game of chance. There comes a time when we have to appreciate that manageing the huge egos of the likes of high-earning players like Mikel Obi, Obafemi Martins and Nwankwo Kanu can only be continuosly achieved with an experienced and proven winner of high level global football competitions.
Many successful international players have made the transition from winning players to winning coaches/managers.
Not only do they understand the requirements of players on the pitch but have also been through the mill with reknowned coaches.managers they have learnt well from.
What has Amodu got to offer us on the international stage? We may point out that Berti Vogts was not that successful with Nigeria though he was a very successful german national team player.
The dynamics are such that Nigeria needs not only a proven manager/coach but also someone familiar with the cultural backgrounds and attitudes that exist here. A hybrid of Coaching Expert and Bully.
Amodu may well be able to take us to the World Cup against many African countries but I feel uneasy about his capabilities when one looks at his sideline attitude during games. Like Onigbinde before him, he lacks the passion for the game and would rather sit or stand with arms crossed in constant prayer or brooding mode.
John Obuh did the same with our over-aged Under-17s when under pressure from the Swiss children and one wonders whether there is a special and unique coaching manual that Nigerian coaches are trained with.
Will I vote for a proven foreign coach? Yes and very early too!
What do you think?
