3 months ago
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Fresh facts person emerged regarding wherefore erstwhile Super Eagles midfield enforcer, Daniel Amokachi, opted to spell AWOL hardly 24 hours earlier Nigeria’s all-important World Cup qualifiers against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, The Guardian tin exclusively report.
Nigeria resumes 2026 World Cup hostilities against 1 of its fiercest rivals, South Africa, astatine the Nest of Champions, Uyo, Akwa Ibom connected Friday with 1 of the adjunct coaches missing successful camp.
Word was rife successful Abuja that the erstwhile Super Eagles interim gaffer had demanded to beryllium excused from Friday’s brushwood connected wellness grounds, with a apical Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) chieftain confirming the report.
However, a The Guardian’s root revealed that Amokachi’s lack from the team’s campy has to bash with his grievances implicit what his take-home wage should be.
Recall that NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, stated successful wide presumption that adjunct nationalist squad coaches volition henceforth beryllium paid based connected invitational allowances alternatively of receiving monthly salaries, arsenic portion of the federation’s cost-cutting efforts successful the look of the country’s pugnacious economical situation.
Miffed by Gusau’s unwillingness to backmost down connected his decision, the erstwhile idiosyncratic adjunct to President Muhammadu Buhari connected sports matters had demanded a contract, fixed his property and experience. However, NFF hierarchies turned a deaf ear, which whitethorn person necessitated his determination to enactment distant from the Super Eagles campy arsenic of property time.
His lack successful Uyo has continued to nonstop tongues wagging, with critics citing sabotage and his unwillingness to spot Finidi George bark retired orders to Super Eagles stars from the touchline portion helium takes a backmost spot successful the dugout.
“Amokachi did not person immoderate occupation moving with Finidi George arsenic wide rumoured by galore Nigerians,” began globally renowned sports exertion and steadfast of 234sportsng.com Kayode Thomas.
“The occupation has to bash with NFF, who are not consenting to connection elaborate contracts to him. Amokachi demanded a contract, which Gusau and his cronies were not consenting to offer.
“How tin you expect a fable similar Amokachi to unrecorded based connected invitational allowances arsenic a Super Eagles adjunct coach? That is not possible.
“This was Ike Shorumun’s grievance with NFF erstwhile helium walked distant from his goalkeeper trainer’s post. Amokachi has nary occupation moving with Finidi,” helium told The Guardian connected Thursday morning.
Unconfirmed reports besides person it that Amokachi, who is 3rd successful the pecking bid of the hierarchy, felt slighted by Finidi, who preferred Ben James arsenic his archetypal right-hand man.
It remains to beryllium seen however NFF intends to insubstantial implicit cracks with Da Bull, with Nigeria, needing his champion brains successful the dugout to suffice for the 2026 FIFA World Cup aft missing retired connected the past variation successful Qatar.
Nigeria’s mediocre start, drafting matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, has near the radical wide open, and South Africa could enactment themselves successful the driving spot with affirmative results successful adjacent month’s matches.
Nigeria needs an outright triumph implicit Bafana Bafana to basal a bully accidental of qualifying for the World Cup aft missing retired connected the past variation successful Qatar.
Super Eagles volition besides instrumentality connected Benin Republic successful a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier astatine a neutral venue aft the Confederation of African Football, CAF, ruled that stadiums successful Benin are not bully capable to big planetary matches.
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