3 Factors That Will Determine the Next Super Eagles Coach As Finidi Leads Race

• NFF's Ikpeba has disclosed the criteria to pick the next Super Eagles coach
• Finidi George has recently been appointed on an interim managerial basis
• Numerous coaches have applied to become the next Super Eagles coach

Victor Ikpeba has stated that race will not be one of the factors in determining the next Super Eagles coach after rumours circulated that the Nigeria Football Federation would prefer a foreign coach.

The NFF have begun the search for Nigeria’s permanent coach after parting ways with Jose Peseiro who led the country to their first Africa Cup of Nations final since 2013 in February.

According to Score Nigeria, over 40 foreign coaches have applied to become the Super Eagles' next coach including former Portuguese coach Antonio Conceicao, who guided Cameroon to third place at the 2021 AFCON.

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Several local coaches have also applied for the post as reports suggest the NFF received over 400 applications from coaches across the globe for the role currently being occupied by Finidi George on an interim basis.

Here, Sports Brief along with Totori News lists the various criteria being considered by the NFF's Technical Committee to determine the next coach of the Super Eagles.

3 factors to determine Nigeria's coach

1. Race will not be a factor

Former Super Eagles winger and a member of NFF’s technical committee Ikpeba insists anybody can become the next Super Eagles coach as long as he is qualified because race will not be a determining factor to name Nigeria’s next coach.

"Football is just a unique sport anybody can be a manager in this country. The technical committee members will not take the decision of who becomes the next coach of the Super Eagles based on colour, that is the fact.”

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Ikpeba says the next Super Eagles coach will be picked based on merit and not on the colour of his skin.

2. A coach who can work under pressure

The next Super Eagles coach will be one who is good at working under pressure as Ikpeba says that is one of the criteria the technical committee will focus on.

The former Monaco winger claims coaching Nigeria can be very demanding and any coach who cannot cope with working under pressure will cave in when the heat is turned up.

3. No sentiment in picking next coach

Ikpeba finally claims the NFF will not be sentimental in picking the next Super Eagles coach after making the same mistakes in the past, costing the team a ticket to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The former Nigeria winger faulted the rushed sacking of Gernot Rohr and appointment of Augustin Eguavoen which he claims was done with sentiments because the NFF were eager to appoint a local coach and not a qualified one.

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Mourinho linked with Nigeria job

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that former Manchester United and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been linked with the vacant Super Eagles job.

Mourinho was sacked by Italian giants AS Roma in February and the Portuguese has declared he is ready to return to management in the summer.

The former Tottenham coach was the one who recommended Jose Peseiro to the NFF, and reports suggest he could be next in line to succeed his friend as Nigeria’s next coach.