Super Eagles coach-designate surprises NFF with plans to bring back 36-year-old defender, plan B for Osimhen

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Musa Gusau has been impressed by the unveiling of the frontrunner to be appointed as the new coach of the Nigerian national team. Own goal Nigeria.com can reveal exclusively.

Gusau is currently in London where he will meet with the coach-designate for the Nigeria senior team, which is without a coach since the departure of Finidi George as coach.

In a statement released after the World Cup qualifiers, the NFF made it clear that they will be looking for an expatriate coach to help stabilise the team’s campaign, following the 1-1 draw against South Africa and 1-2 loss to Benin Republic which saw them drop to fifth place in the six-team group.

Gusau is set to meet the coach today, in the company of Sports Minister Senator John Enoh, to discuss the terms of his engagement, we have learnt exclusively. He is said to have stunned the president with his presentation.

Sources say he outlined his plans to fix the team’s defence and in particular mentioned Leon Balogun, who recently signed a one-year contract with Rangers, as one of the players he will build his defence around because he fits the way he wants the team to play out of the back.

He also told them that he noticed the team struggling in the absence of striker Victor Osimhen and that he has a striker in mind as his plan B. The player in question led us to believe that he has represented a European nation at youth and once at senior level, so he is still eligible for the Super Eagles.

Mohamed Mowiz Suleiman