I WOULD STILL PREFER LOCAL COACH FOR SUPER EAGLES – EX-INT’L, OLOYEDE
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Former Nigeria international Taiwo Oloyede has said he would still prefer a local coach for the Super Eagles.
After recording a draw and a defeat to South Africa and Benin Republic in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Finidi George resigned as Super Eagles head coach.
Finidi decided to resign after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) resolved to hire a foreign Technical Adviser.
The former winger has since been appointed as head coach of his home state club, Rivers United.
Despite NFF’s decision to go for a foreign handler, Oloyede said his preferred choice for the Eagles’ job is a local coach.
“I would still recommend home-based coaches,” Oloyede, who played for the Super Eagles from 1994 to 1996, said in an interview.
“The foreign coaches are great, no doubt, but the home-based coaches should be given a fair chance too.
“The bane of indigenous Nigerian coaches has been the lack of a free hand to take total control of the management of the team.”
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Oloyede lamented the strong influence of player agents and selected officials in the NFF as major problems facing indigenous coaches of the Super Eagles.
“The agents and selected NFF officials are the major culprits. They want their players in the national camp and will go to any lengths to make it happen, often using the national team camps as a platform to secure foreign deals abroad.
“But it shouldn’t be like that. The proper route is to market themselves from the home league first with strong performances at their clubs. Then they can dream about a call-up, not the other way around.”
Oloyede advised the NFF to look inward and find capable coaches, take them on refresher courses, and that indigenous coaches chosen should also be given a free hand to do their jobs.
Regarding Finidi’s resignation from the Super Eagles after less than 50 days, Oloyede said the pressure was too much on him, which was caused by a lack of loyalty to him by most of the players.
The former Julius Berger and Stationary Stores star slammed Victor Osimhen for disrespecting the 1994 AFCON winner,
“Like Osimhen talking to Finidi George. He must come out and apologise,” he said. “What has he done in his life that makes him better than Finidi? Is it money? Fame? Has he won the Champions League? Has he won the Nations Cup? Being the highest goal scorer in the qualifiers is not an achievement if it’s not repeated in the tournament proper.”
“Just because he was the highest goal scorer at his club when they won the Scudetto last season doesn’t give him the right to talk to Finidi like that. He’s very rude and going public to rant that ‘Ogun’ will kill somebody shows he was not brought up well. He also lacks good advisers to put him on track.”
On his life after retirement from professional football, Oloyede said he has no regrets and is enjoying himself.
“Part of enjoying my retirement is using my leisure time to play football,” he added.
“Playing friendly games at age 60 isn’t for the weak, and definitely not everyone. But I do it regularly. I play for at least 20 minutes in a half of 45 minutes, then take a break. I train with my club every Saturday and Sunday.”
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