Nigeria legend Segun Odegbami has backed calls for a Nigerian to coach the Super Eagles after the departure of Jose Peseiro on February 29.
The Nigeria Football Federation has commenced the search for Peseiro’s successor ahead of the country’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic in June.
Augustine Eguavoen was the last indegineous coach to lead the Super Eagles in 2022 after Gernot Rohr’s exit but he could not lead the country beyond the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16.
Odegbami, over the weekend, described the appointment of a new foreign coach for the Super Eagles as a step to eternal slavery.
“Unless we want to be enslaved forever, in our colonial mentality where we think that only the white can coach us to success,” the 1980 AFCON winner said.
“All around us, we hear about some Nigerians who are excelling in all fields of endeavours and they are leaving the country to go and help other countries.
“Football is not a rocket science, but a simple game. We have lots of Nigerians who have all the qualifications to take us to any level. “For me, I won’t suffer from colonial mentality again and enough of foreign coaches.
“Now, it’s time for a Nigerian coach to handle our national team.”
Adewale Adegoke was the first Nigerian coach to lead the Super Eagles between 1950 to 1952 and the Nigeria men’s national team has been led by 14 indigenous coaches ever since.
