Cash-strapped Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) can now appoint a new foreign coach for the country after it successfully secured a $1.5 million bond from the government-owned oil corporation Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The government has made it clear it will not assist financially the NFF’s quest to hire an expatriate coach for the Super Eagles ahead of the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, but could approve such appointment if the federation could guarantee the payment of such a coach.
“The NFF now have a bond of $1.5 million from NNPC and so they can employ a foreign coach,” a top official told AfricanFootball.com yesterday.
“The federation owing coaches their salaries will now be history.”
Frenchman Paul Le Guen, Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet and the country’s caretaker coach Salisu Yusuf have been shortlisted for the Super Eagles top post.
The NFF said the successful coach will now be announced on July 18.
The Super Eagles are drawn in a tough World Cup qualifying group that has Africa’s No 1 team Algeria, nine-time World Cup finalists Cameroun and 2012 African champions Zambia.
They begin their qualifying campaign for Russia 2018 on October 3 in Zambia.
Vice Captain of the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa, who switched to Premiership champions Leicester City has jetted out of England to Austria for the team’s pre-season training camp.
__________
Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng
Copyright 2015 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.
