An influential member of the NFF technical committee has accused the NFF leadership of trying to use them as scapegoat for the Super Eagles disappointing outing in their last two 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Super Eagles forced South Africa to a 1-1 draw in Uyom before they lost 2-1 to Benin in Abidjan three days later.
This has left Nigeria’s World Cup qualification in tatters even as Africa will be represented by at least nine countries at the expanded tournament to be hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico.
Subsequently, the NFF have announced they will appoint a new foreign coach.
A member of the technical committee has now told Daily Trust newspaper that the NFF leadership politicised the appointment of a new Super Eagles coach.
“The NFF are being dishonest and diversionary. They are playing politics with the passion of millions of Nigerians. The technical committee is not responsible for the failure of the Super Eagles,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
“First, we recommended a foreign coach to be assisted by Finidi but the NFF returned the list to us and said the government had directed that it must be an indigenous coach.
He added: “There was pressure on us to recommend Emmanuel Amuneke but we stuck to our guns and recommended Finidi because he was already in the system and NFF claimed that the government was opposed to foreign coaches.
“NFF are trying to give the technical committee a bad name but the question they must answer sincerely is why did they reject the same foreign coach they are now going for? Where are they going to get money now to pay for his services? And when did the Federal Government say no to foreign coaches for the Super Eagles?
“I want Nigerians to know that it was unnecessary political interference and not the technical committee that robbed us of six points in the World Cup qualifiers.”
But you have not denied that your Committee recommended Finidi. Or did you recommend a more competent Amunike and the NFF turned it down?