First of all, let me confess that Dan ‘The Bull’ Amokachi was one of the players who made me fall in love with the 1994 set of the Super Eagles.
I was a big fan of Amokachi as a player both at the national team and his former club sides most especially at Everton, where he won the FA Cup in 1995, how he subbed himself on against Tottenham to score the equalizer and the winning goal for Everton in the semi-final is one of the biggest stories in the English FA Cup till today.
His goal celebration against Bulgaria at the USA 1994 WC remains One of my best goal celebrations of all time, in fact when I played football as a young boy while growing up, I had “Kachi” at the back of my jersey to let you know how much I adored him as a player.
My love and respect for him grew further when he gave birth to a set of twins, as a twin myself I must love “Baba Ibeji” anywhere I see them 😃
This piece is not to sing his praises as a footballer, but to share my thoughts on his appointment as the Super Eagles’ assistant coach.
Does he deserve to be an assistant coach? Yes, he has all the requirements including the UEFA A coaching license. In fact, he applied for the same job that was given to Finidi. He has worked at Enyimba, Nasarawa United, defunct Ifeanyi Ubah FC, and was with the late Stephen Keshi when we won AFCON in 2013 but the last time he was active as a coach was in 2015(9 years ago) when he was in charge of FC Ifeanyi Ubah, a position he left after just one game.
Beyond these, I am particularly concerned about what I have heard and read about Daniel Amokachi
His man-management attitude has been a subject of discussion among football enthusiasts. Based on various reports and opinions, these are some of the things people have said about him.
– Autocratic style: Amokachi is known for his strict and authoritarian approach to managing players.
– Lack of empathy: Some players have accused him of being unsympathetic and unapproachable.
– Favoritism: There have been allegations of Amokachi showing preference to certain players over others.
– Communication issues: Some players have reportedly felt uncomfortable approaching him due to his abrasive demeanor.
– Tactical inflexibility: Amokachi has been criticized for his rigid tactical approach, which may not suit every player’s strengths.
– Player unrest: His management style has led to discontent among players, potentially affecting team morale and performance.
While all these may not completely represent the true character of Amokachi, it is also important to know that these concerns are based on the public opinions about him
I don’t think Amokachi’s appointment as assistant coach was made by Finidi George, I have a feeling the appointment was made possible by the influential figures in the country, leaving the NFF, Sports Ministry, and Finidi George with little say in the matter.
Now that he has the job, my biggest concern is that Amokachi has been made the first assistant coach, which means Finidi George will have to work closely with him, unlike the previous arrangement with Joseph Yobo and Gernot Rohr
This new setup raises concerns about the potential impact on the team’s performance and stability and I hope we’ve not set up Finidi to fail in this assignment
Will Amokachi respect Finidi George as his boss? The fact that Victor Ikpeba and Abiodun Baruwa spoke on national television and publicly told Amokachi “Finidi is the boss and should be respected” says a lot already.
Will Finidi prefer to work with his “imposed” first assistant ahead of a certain Ben James he brought and he can trust? Will there not be a clash of egos? If Finidi bypasses his “first assistant” and works with Ben James, will Amokachi be comfortable? Will the dressing room be safe from division?
I have 1001 questions to ask, but the time is not right yet, I am just concerned!!
By Ogunmiloro Kenny Samson Daniel
