Amuneke will be in charge when the Super Eagles take on the Black Stars of Ghana in March.
All hands are on deck to ensure Nigeria do not miss the party to Qatar. The Super Eagles of Nigeria have a date with destiny between March 23-30, when they take on the Black Stars of Ghana for one of the tickets to the FIFA World Cup.
Nigerians have been apprehensive due to the early ouster of the Super Eagles from the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Ghana did not have a fantastic outing at the Nations Cup. The Black Stars failed to make it out of their group.
The ouster of the Black Stars from AFCON led to the sacking of their Serbian coach Milovan Radevac. The Ghana FA, much like their Nigerian counterpart, is without a coach. Chris Houghton is on the line to replace the Serbian.
Rumours have been rife about Eguavoen continuing as the interim coach of the Super Eagles following the fine display of the team at Cameroon. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has finally confirmed the status of the Edo-born coach in the Super Eagles.
NFF confirms Super Eagles technical crew
The NFF announced they would not be signing Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro. The former Venezuelan coach was due to take over from Eguavoen after the Nations Cup, but the NFF believes it is no longer necessary. The NFF instead decided to go with a homegrown coach – Emmanuel Amuneke.
It was a dream finally realised by the former Super Eagles winger Emmanuel Amuneke, and it comes a decade after quitting active football. The former African Footballer of the Year is full of gratitude for the confidence the NFF have reposed in him by considering him for the job. Reacting to the announcement, Amuneke also thanked Nigerians for their contributions towards making it happen.
Amuneke, who had a stint with Barcelona during his playing days, will work with a team that includes interim Technical Adviser Augustine Eguavoen with assistants Salisu Yusuf, Joseph Yobo, and Alloy Agu.
Amuneke was elated at the appointment and promised Nigerians that he would do his best to make Nigeria proud. The former Super Eagles winger did not reveal details of the agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but he said it was a privilege to serve his country.
Gratitude and fine moments
Amuneke has earned his coaching badges over time as he has led many teams. The new coach of the Super Eagles has a past replete with glorious moments and one to look back at with pride. It probably is the reason the NFF decided to go with him.
Brila FM quotes Amuneke as declaring his gratitude and availability to serve his country. According to Amuneke, he is grateful to Nigerians and the NFF for thinking about him in their quest for a new coach. Amuneke said that he wouldn’t speak much, but he will bare all about the job when the time is right.
Amuneke won many titles playing for Egypt’s Zamalek, Barcelona, and Sporting Lisbon. He was a part of the Super Eagles that won the Nations Cup in 1994, where he scored a brace in the final. He also participated in the Atlanta ’96 Olympics football, winning gold for Nigeria. Amuneke was named African Footballer of the Year in 1994.
The 51-year-old manager has handled many clubs in his career. Some of the clubs he has managed include Julius Berger and Ocean Boys.
He was assistant to Manu Garba for the Golden Eaglets’ side that won the 2013 FIFA u-17 World Cup. He successfully led the Golden Eaglets to defend the U-17 title two years later. Amuneke also helped Tanzania qualify for the country’s second-ever appearance at AFCON.
Amuneke will lead Nigeria against Ghana to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago
