By Patrick Omorodion
Former second vice chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, retired Brigadier-General Gregory Adebiyi has affirmed that the only Nigerian presently capable of handling the Super Eagles successfully is Mike Emenalo who has equipped himself technically in football.
Speaking on phone to Sports Vanguard, Brigadier-General Adebiyi said that having risen to become the technical director of Chelsea Football Club of London, Emenalo could turn the fortunes of the struggling Super Eagles around.
“As a former chairman of the NFA technical committee, I can tell you that I don’t subscribe to hiring any foreign coach for the Super Eagles because we have somebody like Emenalo who has what it takes to revive the Super Eagles and I believe he is the best person now having served as technical director of Chelsea Football Club”, he said.
He equally pointed at another former Super Eagles player, Seyi Olofinjana as someone who has gone ahead after playing football to learn the rudiments of football administration and could be very useful in the management of football in the country as the reform process for football is on.
“I want our former players to emulate people like Emenalo and Olofinjana, they have to train to become coaches and administrators. They can even go into politics like I hear Karibe Ojigwe is doing in Ebonyi State instead of playing novelty matches and engaging in solidarity matches for politicians”, he stressed.
He added that, “they should not feel too old to back to school to improve themselves and take courses. For example I went back to Ahmadu Bello University to get a degree in Physical and Health Education at 42 as a military man.”
Emenalo
Brigadier-General Adebiyi who also served as chairman of both the Technical Committee and Youth Football Development/Academy of the NFA, disclosed that he had to resign as vice chairman of the NFA because of an urgent military assignment then, stressing that his tenure at the NFA was very fruitful and afforded him the opportunity to appreciate the problems involved in Nigerian football and sports generally.
