Central African Republic Coach Claims He Can Make Nigeria a “Great Team in Africa”

Central African Republic Coach Claims He Can Make Nigeria a “Great Team in Africa”

Edwin Kiplagat
July 2, 2024 at 1:41 PM
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  • Central African Republic (CAR) coach, Raoul Savoy, has said he can make the Nigerian national football team great again
  • Savoy has implied that foreign coaches employed to coach the Super Eagles don't possess the necessary knowledge of African football
  • Nigeria are considered a giant of African football, but their successes on the pitch are few and far between in the last few decades

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Nigeria is a giant in African football, but they have flattered to deceive over the years.

Despite producing some of the continent's greatest players, the Super Eagles' success has come sporadically.

Central African Republic (CAR) coach, Raoul Savoy, believes foreign coaches Nigeria are hiring are not good, and he can make them a better team if given the opportunity.

Nigeria, Victor Osimhen, Raoul Savoy, Central African Republic, World Cup
Raoul Savoy believes he can get the best out of the current Nigerian team. Photos by Issouf Sanogo and Pakawich Damrongkiattisak - FIFA.
Source: Getty Images

The West Africans have won three Africa Cup of Nations titles in 40 years: 1980, 1994, and 2013. They reached the 2023 final but fell short after losing to the Ivory Coast, per BBC.

They are at risk of missing a second straight World Cup tournament after a shambolic qualifying campaign. They are winless with six matches to go, and their best player is not on good terms with the coach, who reportedly resigned.

Can Savoy rejuvenate Nigeria?

Speaking to Brila FM, Savoy said he can make the Super Eagles great again.

"I don't know why the national team is not doing well. Maybe the expatriate coaches you are taking don't really know Africa, and maybe they are not really good for the team," he said.
"If they give me the team, I can promise. To make Nigeria a great team in Africa."

In their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, they drew with Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and South Africa and lost to Benin.

What is Nigeria's football philosophy

Sports Brief earlier reported on Nduka Ugbade, claiming Nigeria lacks a defined style of play.

He said the Super Eagles' style resembles Brazil's joga bonito, but they lack the technical ability to win at the highest level.

Adepoju talks Nigeria's World Cup chances

Sports Brief previously reported earlier that Mutiu Adepoju, a former Super Eagles international, commented on Nigeria's 2026 World Cup chances.

Adepoju believes Nigeria are capable of winning the remaining six matches in the qualifiers.

Authors
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Edwin Kiplagat
Edwin Kiplagat has five years of experience in journalism working as a Sports Editor at Africa Insight Communications and ESPN. Edwin Kiplagat is a Bachelor's Degree holder in journalism from the Multimedia University of Kenya.