April 14, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Football Federation’s Executive Committee has again confirmed Salisu Yusuf’s appointment as Head Coach of the Super Eagles B (also known as the CHAN team) and the Under-23 (Olympics) teams, as recommended by its Technical and Development Sub-Committee.
Not for the first time will this come off as disappointing given that the 59-year-old was barred from coaching after being caught on tape collecting money from a group of investigative journalists, posing as football agents in August 2018, to select two players for his Morocco 2018 AFCON squad.
Yusuf, who took the Super Eagles B team to the runner-up position at that AFCON competition in Morocco, was banned for a year and sentenced to pay a $5,000 fine by the NFF after the Ethics and Fair Play Committee concluded that the coach received $1,000 from the pressmen posing as agents.
Yet, not only did authorities within the same body tossed Yusuf back into the Super Eagles’ coaching staff last year, they also named him Chief Coach under the interim leadership of Eguavoen in December.
However, when the Super Eagles failed to book a ticket to Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup and the NFF reacted by firing the entire coaching crew, apart from Technical Adviser Augustine Eguavoen, who resigned prior to the clearout, Yusuf also lost his job. That should have been the end of the story.
Yet, in another twist, the decision of the NFF’s Technical and Development Sub-Committee has brought Yusuf back into play as his appointment was contained in a statement on Thursday by the NFF’s spokesperson, Ademola Olajire.
The statement, which bore the title “NFF appoints Salisu, Bosso, Ugbade, Bassey to head male National Teams” also noted that “a new Head Coach for the Super Eagles will be announced and officially unveiled once the processes for his engagement and contract-signing are concluded.”
Yusuf will work with Kennedy Boboye, Fatai Osho, Abubakar Bala Mohammed and Fidelis Ikechukwu as assistant coaches while Eboboritse Uwejamomere was appointed as team match analyst. Ike Shorunmu and Suleiman Shuaibu were appointed as goalkeeper trainers.
In other appointments, Ladan Bosso was returned as head coach of the Under-20 male team and he is expected to work with former Under-17 head coach, Fatai Amao and others, such as Oladuni Oyekale and Jolomi Atune Alli as assistant coaches with Baruwa Olatunji Abideen as goalkeeper trainer.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
