Nigeria’s football needs change – Amokachi

 Nigeria legend Daniel Amokachi says the glory days of the Super Eagles will not return unless major defect in the country’s football system is overhauled, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Amokachi who scored 13 goals in 44 appearances for Nigeria and has had four stints as Eagles assistant coach with the late Stephen Keshi from 2011 to 2015 – as well as former Eagles coaches Eguavoen (2005-2007), late Shaibu Amodu (2008-10) and Lars Lagerback (2010) – refused to be drawn on which coach succeeds Gernot Rohr permanently.

“Focusing too much on the coaching is like building a house from the roof downwards instead of starting with the right foundation and build upwards,” Amokachi continued.

“Do we have a solid developmental programme for our young footballers, a proper long-term plan for our national teams or develop a football identity for the game in our country?

“I am a product of the Nigerian league. But have we sorted all the issues around our domestic game, from players welfare to the lack of television rights and the chaos around the organisation of local football?

“There are bigger issues that have long bedevilled the Nigerian game and until we fix them, we will just be moving in a circle.”

“A Nigerian or foreigner as the next coach is their (NFF’s) decision to make. But let’s not deviate by looking at a coaching solution from our bigger issues. We always react when we fail to qualify or perform at major tournaments because shortcuts will not get you results.

“Let’s sort all the fundamental issues of administrative problems – lack of planning and structure.’’

"our troubled domestic league, absence of a developmental youth programme and retrain our youth coaches with modern methods – then we can start reaping the rewards.

“Anything away from tackling these problems and we will definitely return here to complain again next year.”

As a player, the former Ranchers Bees, Club Bruges, Everton and Besiktas striker contested the 1994 and 1998 World Cups and won Olympic gold with his country in 1996.