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Amaju Pinnick, NFF President

I have no regrets hiring Sunday Oliseh — Pinnick ; vows he will not resign

Amaju Pinnick, NFF President
Amaju Pinnick, NFF President
President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, Wednesday, in Abuja said he had no regrets hiring Sunday Oliseh as the Super Eagles’ Head Coach. This is also as the football boss insisted that he would not resign amid public outcry that has trailed the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon next year.
Pinnick told newsmen in Abuja at a news conference that Oliseh, who quit his job last month, came under high recommendation.
“When we brought the last coach (Oliseh), we brought him first because he is a Nigerian and he came highly recommended.
“In addition to this, I don’t also have any regrets saying he was a `Pep Guardiola’ of Africa.
“When we employed him we gave him a four-year plan, and if you look at the contract we also talked about building capacities.
“But he resigned at the end of the day even at a difficult time, a month to crucial qualifying matches,’’ he said.
Oliseh, a former Super Eagles midfielder who later captained the team, took over from former teammate Stephen Keshi as the team’s Head Coach on July 14, 2015.
He later quit on February 26, citing lack of support from the NFF, thus leading to the drafting of Samson Siasia to the team as Interim Coach.
On whether he would advise on a foreign coach for the team, as he had earlier been reported to have said, Pinnick said it was up to the NFF executive committee.
“We hired a coach and I was called upon to come and reverse the decision of hiring a coach.
“I was called into the highest seat in the land to reverse the decision. Never again will I want to do anything that will be looked at or remotely perceived not to be justifiable.
“That is why the entire executive committee will sit down and look at the pros and cons and take everything into consideration.
“The position we will take will not be by Pinnick, but by the NFF executive committee and we will communicate it to the Minister of Youths and Sports,’’ he said.
Pinnick said the NFF executive committee would hold a consultative forum on April 5 with the Minister for a clear direction on the technical crew of the Super Eagles.
Meanwhile, who said he will not resign his position as NFF president despite the ouster of the national team from AFCON 2017 has
His uncompromising stance is against the grain that it was under his watch that Nigeria missed two consecutive Africa Cup of Nations finals, a setback that is unprecedented in the nation’s football history.
Following the 1-0 loss to Egypt in Alexandria on Tuesday, the Super Eagles will now miss the plane to Gabon 2017 in same manner they were absent at the event in Equatorial Guinea in 2015.
Pinnick, who briefed Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, shortly after the chartered flight that took the delegation to Alexandria arrived in Abuja, addressed reporters, Wednesday.
He vowed not to resign, saying he was legally elected by the Nigerian football congress. In addition, Pinnick insisted the executive committee he headed deserves commendation as the country excelled across boards at international football competitions, particularly in youth football.
He said he was not giving excuses but was rather more determined in righting the wrongs that happened by focusing on the Olympic football in Brazil in August.
“I am not going to resign. I don’t think we have done very badly. When you are in a battle field you don’t retreat as whoever comes in will have to begin from where you started: he might run into the same pit. I was elected by the Nigerian football congress and have a mandate for four years. Our template is there to take football forward 100 per cent,” Pinnick declared.
While attributing the loss to Egypt to destiny, Pinnick said the federation would now concentrate on qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals in Russia in 2018 by liaison with their agents to utilise the two available windows in June by organising friendly matches for the national team.
Pinnick said an expansive consultative forum will also meet Dalung, Tuesday to determine the future of interim coach, Samson Siasia, who handled the team in the two games against Egypt, or decide whether Nigeria should hire a foreign coach on a long term-term basis.
He attributed the misfortunes of football to the doorstep of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The NFF chief said it was the former president who prevailed on the board to reverse its decision not to hire former coach Stephen Keshi for a second spell with Eagles after he failed to qualify Nigeria for AFCON 2015.
While thanking God for the safe trip back home from the reverse fixture in Egypt, Pinnick disclosed that the chartered flight that conveyed the team to Alexandria was packed next to the Egypt Air A320 that was hijacked and diverted to Cyprus.
After the Egyptian authority was notified, a round the clock surveillance was put on the Eagles’ plane before their departure.

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