Sixteen years ago, Isah Ladan Bosso achieved one of his proudest highlights as a coach when he led the Flying Eagles to the quarterfinal of the FIFA U20 World Cup against Chile in Canada.
He still talks with a lot of pride how players from that tournament like Efe Ambrose, Brown Ideye, Elderson Echiejile and Ikechukwu Ezenwa went on to establish themselves in the Super Eagles.
He will also recall his ban by FIFA after he dismissed the referee of that match against Chile, Howard Webb of England, as a racist, and how in the end he got away with a lighter sanction.
There is often some controversy around this former uncompromising defender.
His re-appointment to head the Flying Eagles after he led them to crash out of the 2020 WAFU B qualifiers in Benin Republic was controversial.
But after only “nine training sessions in Abuja” (Bosso’s claim), he led the country past defending champions and perennial rivals Ghana to this year’s U20 AFCON in Egypt.
The Flying Eagles did enough to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup, which kicks off today in Argentina, amid various allegations and controversies surrounding the Minna-born coach, who has only received salary for three of the 15 months he is owed.
He and the rest of the team have also not been paid qualifying bonuses for both the WAFU and AFCON.
“I will be happy to be sacked for doing the right thing,” Bosso dared his critics, many of who have questioned his team selection, style and tactics.
He made wholesale changes to the squad to the U20 AFCON after they won the WAFU qualifiers and for the World Cup, only 13 players survived his latest purge.
Argentina 2023 is another chance for Bosso to beat the odds and shame his critics.
The Flying Eagles are in a tough-looking group that also has five-time champions Brazil and Italy, semifinalists at the last two editions of the tournament.
“I see this group as a blessing in disguise,” he reasoned.
“Once we get out of it, we will go very far.
“We hope to start well against the Dominican Republic, who will be making their debut in this competition.
“Italy will be our next match and I believe they are beatable by the time we come with the momentum from the opening game.”
Bosso and his team will then fly out from Mendoza to La Plata for a final Group D match against the Samba Boys from Brazil.
“It will be a tough game, but by then we ought to know where we stand as regards qualification to the next round of the competition,” he admitted.
He has kept faith with the core of the team from the AFCON, while strengthening the midfield and an attack that failed to fire in Egypt.
Fit-again Daniel Daga, who was badly missed at the AFCON due to injury; AC Milan starlet Victor Eletu as well as the revelation from Bulgaria Tochukwu Nnadi and the ever-busy Samson Lawal present a solid engine room.
The star of the Flying Eagles remains Ibrahim Mohammed ‘Beji’, who was the team’s top scorer at both the WAFU and AFCON.
He is daring and direct from either flanks and should he be on top of his game, Bosso will be the boss with that swagger of a cowboy again.
