Key football stakeholders in Nigeria are pleading with the Ibrahim Gusau-led board of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to appoint the former Enyimba International FC manager, Samson Unanuel, as the head coach of the women’s national U17 football team, Flamingoes.
This is following the high powered lobbying currently going on over the national team jobs as several other interest groups are pushing for their candidates to get appointed as the coaches.
But with Christopher Musa Danjuma returned to his position as Falconets’ head coach, stakeholders are pushing for Unanuel to be appointed as the Flamingoes’ head coach, urging President Ibrahim Gusau-led NFF board to look at experience, capacity and competence the German trained football tactician will bring to bear on the women national U17 team.
They argued that of all the candidates penciled down for the job, Unanuel who is presently managing Calabar Rovers FC stands out with his tactical prowess and has all that is required to make Flamingoes the world-beater.
“Samson Unanuel is the best man for Flamingoes. So, I advise the NFF board to look at capacity, experience and competence in appointing anyone for this job. Unanuel has done well and excelled in most of the jobs he has handled in this country.
“He is the only Nigerian coach that has handled Enyimba International of Aba two times and he was Super Falcons assistant coach. So, he has what it takes to groom a women’s team, don’t forget that Flamingoes is primarily for development of players for the senior national team,” a member of Nigeria’s football congress who pledged anonymity said.
On his part, the organizing secretary of Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), Abdurazaq Usman, said Unanuel is the most experienced of all the names being speculated for the Falconets or Flamingoes coaching job.
“Needless to say that Samson Unanuel who had worked with YSFON previously and also managed several clubs in Nigeria is the most experienced of all the names speculated for the job. Most of the personalities lobbyists are clamouring for were nowhere near his pedigree and can’t match his tactical knowledge of the game of football. NFF should do the needful by giving the Falconets a good coach that will lead them to sucesses,” Usman said.
The NFF board announced after its annual general assembly meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital, early this month, that is searching for new coaching crews for the various women national teams (Super Falcons, Falconets and Flamingos) within the shortest possible time as the Super Falcons and Falconets have crucial qualifying fixtures for major championships.
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