Since 1949, there have been a total of 27 Super Eagles coaches, and some of those managers had more than one stint in charge of Nigeria's national team. While some coaches didn't perform as well as expected, there were those who went on to win silverware for the Super Eagles. In this article, we'll talk about the most successful Super Eagles coaches in AFCON history.
Most successful Super Eagles coaches at the AFCON
Before we proceed, we would like to point out that only three teams have won more AFCON titles than Nigeria's national team. The Super Eagles have been African champions on three occasions; they've been runners-up four times, with eight third-place finishes. In 19 appearances at this tournament, the Eagles have 15 AFCON medals (no country has more total medals). That said, let's dive right in.
Clemens Westerhof
Dutch manager Clemens Westerhof was in charge of a few clubs and countries in his career, but his most notable coaching spell was with the Super Eagles, from 1989 to 1994. Under his leadership, Nigeria had three consecutive semi-final berths at the Africa Cup of Nations. They were runners-up in 1990, third in 1992; and in 1994, Westerhof guided the Super Eagles to their second AFCON title.
It's also important to note that Westerhof led Nigeria to the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the round of 16 for the first time in history. At some point, the Eagles were ranked number 5 in the World, which is the highest FIFA ranking ever held by an African country till date. Nigeria also won three consecutive CAF team of the year awards when Westerhof was in charge.
Stephen Keshi
The interesting thing about Stephen Keshi is, he won two AFCON titles with the Super Eagles. First of all, Keshi was not just a part of Clemens Westerhof's 1994 title-winning squad, he was also the team's captain. In 2013, the former Anderlecht player also guided his country to their third AFCON title, and their most recent till date.
Just like Westerhof, Stephen Keshi led the Eagles to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup in 2019. The team also won the CAF team of the year award under his leadership.
Amodu Shuaibu
This is an interesting pick, considering Amodu Shuaibu never actually won the Africa Cup of Nations title whilst in charge of the Super Eagles. However, in four different spells, Shuaibu led the team to the AFCON semi-finals on two occasions, winning two bronze medals.
It's also fair to point out that Amodu Shuaibu remains the only coach to qualify the Super Eagles for three FIFA World Cups. However, for some reason or the other, he was replaced before the World Cup on all three occasions.
Otto Gloria
Prior to his spell with the Super Eagles, Otto Gloria had won a FIFA World Cup gold medal in 1966, whilst in charge of the Portuguese national team. He had also coached teams like Benfica, Marseille and Atletico Madrid. In 1978, Gloria took the Eagles job; and two years later, the Brazilian coach guided the country to their first ever Africa Cup of Nations title.
Johannes Bonfrère
Another coach who achieved some success with the Super Eagles is Johannes Bonfrère. The Dutch gaffer guided Nigeria to the final of the 2000 AFCON event, where they lost on penalties. He also led the team to their first Olympic gold medal, and their only one till date.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
