The NFF have announced they have been forced to rotate the coaches in the Super Eagles as part of cost-cutting measures.
First assistant coach Finidi George and goalkeeper trainer Ike Shorunmu will not be part of the Eagles for 2023 AFCON qualifiers against Guinea Bissau as a result of this, the football federation further said.
The NFF statement read: “As part of cost-cutting measures instituted at the beginning of the new administration, we established a rotation policy among the assistant coaches, based on the high number, which was agreed with all of them.
“The last time that the team had a programme, Finidi George was the person who travelled for the friendly match in Portugal. This rotation policy is only for matches. When there is a tournament, all of them will be with the team.
“He knew at that time that the next trip would be that of Usman Abdallah. Abdallah is simply taking his turn to be in the camp for the programme of Super Eagles Vs Djurtus of Guinea Bissau, and George will be around for the next programme.”
The football federation said coach Salisu Yusuf has been posted to the U23 team, while
goalkeepers’ trainer Shorounmu “showed a clear lack of desire to be in camp for the matches against Guinea Bissau”.
Shorunmu’s unavailability forced Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro to demand for Olatunji Baruwa from the Flying Eagles to the U20 AFCON in Egypt to train the goalkeepers.
The NFF concluded: “We agree there are a number of challenges concerning contracts of coaches of national teams that we need to speedily resolve.
“The NFF is working on these and the issues will soon be in the past.”
Peseiro is owed several months’ pay, while Ladan Bosso of the Flying Eagles as well as his Golden Eaglets counterpart Nduka Ugbade are owed a backlog of salaries.
