The Super Eagles defender, who has played 18 international matches, chooses his favourite for the position of new coach of the Super Eagles

Nigeria international Solomon Kwambe has urged the Nigeria Football Federation to do everything possible to appoint Hervé Renard as the next Nigeria coach, claiming he can qualify the country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Super Eagles are looking for a new coach after Finidi George resigned following a series of criticisms over the three-time African champions’ qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.

Hervé Renard: the right man for the job

Renard, who will step down as coach of the French women’s national team after the Olympics, is seen as the leading candidate to succeed the Ajax legend. He has a proven track record, having led Zambia and Ivory Coast to victory at the African Cup of Nations.

Commenting on rumours linking the Frenchman with the Nigeria job, Kwambe, who played for the Super Eagles at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and has 18 caps to his name, believes the 55-year-old would be an ideal choice.

Renard is a great coach considering what he has achieved in other countries such as Angola, Ivory Coast and Zambia, and would be an ideal choice for the Nigeria senior team.

“Renard is a great coach, considering his achievements with countries like Angola, Ivory Coast and Zambia. He would be an ideal choice for the Nigeria senior team,” Kwambe said. SportsBoom.com.

“When it comes to national team management, he is undoubtedly one of the best coaches in the world. It would be wise for the Nigeria Football Federation to convince him to coach the Super Eagles, especially since he will be available after the 2024 Olympics.

“We are in a difficult situation as we need to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. We need a coach who can deliver the necessary results. This is not the time for trial and error. We must aim for the best and everything points to coach Renard being the chosen one.”

After guiding the Elephants to the 2015 African title, he became the first coach to win the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries.

In March 2022, Renard guided Saudi Arabia to qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the winningest foreign-born coach in Green Falcons history.

Indigenous and foreign coach in Nigeria

Over the years, there has been a heated debate on whether a foreign or indigenous coach should be appointed to coach the three-time African champions, with Nigerians having contrasting opinions.

Asked about his choice, the former FC Tulsa defender said: “Football is all about results. Had Finidi George delivered the necessary results during his time in charge of the Super Eagles, there would have been no circumstances leading to his resignation.

“Whether you are a foreign coach or a local coach, what matters at the end of the day is the result, not your origin or the country you come from.

“The last successful coach the Super Eagles had was Stephen Keshi, an indigenous coach. Since then, we have struggled to qualify for tournaments.

“Seeing how difficult it is to manage the Nigerian national team, I still wonder how [Keshi] “He managed to be successful during his time. Perhaps, if he were alive, he would have revealed how he did the job.”