Skip to main content

AFCON 2019: NFF appoints Okocha, Kanu, Babangida as scouts, motivational figures

The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed former Super Eagles’ captains Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, as well as former star winger Tijani Babangida as scouts and movitational figures for Nigeria’s campaign at the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Egypt this summer.


                           
According to NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, the three legends will monitor the activities of the Super Eagles’ opponents leading to the finals in Egypt and report to Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr, and will continue their assignment in Egypt during the championship.

“Okocha, Kanu and Babangida served Nigeria meritoriously as players and we believe they have the capacity to excel in this particular assignment. They will also serve as role models for our young team in Egypt,” Dr Sanusi told thenff.com on Tuesday.
                                                 
Okocha was a key member of the much –fancied Golden Generation, which qualified Nigeria for her first FIFA World Cup finals, won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time on away soil and impressed in reaching the Round of 16 at Nigeria’s debut in the World Cup in 1994. The team was named the second most entertaining team of the finals behind champions Brazil.

The flamboyant midfielder also captained the Super Eagles to the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, where he was named Player of the Tournament. He played in three FIFA World Cup finals for Nigeria.

Kanu narrowly missed the cut for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, but captained the Nigeria U23 team to win Africa’s first Olympic football gold in Atlanta, USA in 1996 and was a member of the squad that finished as runners-up in the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations. He also played in three FIFA World Cup finals for Nigeria.

Babangida was Nigeria’s alternate player at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, but featured at the 1998 finals in France where he scored Nigeria’s only goal in the Round of 16 defeat to Denmark. He was also a member of the squad that finished as runners-up in the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations, and is currently President of the National Association of Nigeria Professional Footballers (NANPF) – the globally–recognized body of Nigerian players.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

$300,000 Browns Nigeria Donation: Transparency Questions Trail Flag Football Leadership in Nigeria.

Fresh concerns have emerged within Nigeria’s flag football community following reports that the Cleveland Browns, through their Browns Nigeria initiative, allegedly donated up to $300,000 to support the sport’s development in the country, alongside additional monetary contributions and equipment support including footballs, flags, and cleats from some NFL players. Rather than inspiring confidence, the alleged donations has raised serious questions about governance, accountability, and control within Nigeria’s flag football structure. Stakeholders are asking: Does the funding truly exist? How was it managed? Who supervised its allocation? And why is there increasing tension among Browns Nigeria officials over control of the sport? Observers believe the fierce struggle for dominance may be linked to the influence such a large financial contribution would command. More troubling, however, is the absence of official clarification. All efforts to reach Browns Nigeria officials for confirmat...
Post a Comment
Read more

Showtime Flag Football Unveils Ambitious Plans for Nationwide Expansion

In the aftermath of the electrifying 2025 Showtime Bowl in Lagos, Azeez Amida, Chairman of Showtime Flag Football, has revealed immediate plans for a nationwide expansion of the league. The sold-out event, which marked the end of the season, drew fans, families, and sports enthusiasts from across the city and showcased the league's potential for growth. Azeez Amida, Chairman of Showtime Flag Football Amida announced plans to expand the league to six states by the end of 2026, signaling a new era for flag football in Nigeria. "We're expanding. By the end of next year, we aim to be in at least six states. The goal is to spread Showtime Flag Football across Nigeria and introduce more communities to this incredible sport," Amida said. Beyond geographic expansion, Amida shared his long-term vision: creating a viable professional pathway for aspiring flag football players within Nigeria. "We want our players to dream big to the point where they can say, 'I want to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nigeria need to adopt symmetry approach across the national teams- coach Michael Nsien

Former Nigerian youth International Michael Nsien has highlighted the need for Nigeria to adopt a uniform pattern across the National teams for smooth transition of players and to achieve a visible success. Speaking to journalists on NSM from his base in the USA, Coach Nsien who is the head coach of FC Tulsa in the US Division two League maintained that the u-17 and u-20 teams should be a conduit for the senior national team. Micheal Nsien, FC Tulsa Head coach "The youth teams is meant to be that way (a conduit for the senior national team). You have to have culture that buys in or accept a job based on that quality of transition. My intention are to be successful and to win games 100% but also, how do we transition players to the senior national team base on our principle, our style of play, the discipline line that we want to play within and our playing methodology. I am not sure that cohesion is in the Nigeria football setup, from top to the bottom, that the coaches...
Post a Comment
Read more