According to reports in an online football media outlet, former Flying Eagles Chief Tactician Ladan Bosso is expected to be unveiled as Super Eagles Home-based coach sometime soon.
When former Super Eagles defender Joseph Yobo was appointed as the Assistant Coach of the national team earlier in the year, many had thought that he would automatically be the head coach of the Home-based team (a role currently officially held by suspended Salisu Yusuf). However, this assumption appears to be misplaced.
It would appear that after Imama Amapakabo (temporarily acting up to Salisu Yusuf’s position) was relieved of his position, that post remained vacant. Plans to bring Salisu back are said to be frowned at by the Sports Minister Sunday Dare; he is said to believe that this move would tarnish the reputation of the Super Eagles because of Salisu’s bribery scandal.
Joseph Yobo was apparently never appointed as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles Home- based team. Rather, he has been engaged to be a part of Gernot Rohr’s backroom staff.
With Salisu Yusuf widely not expected to return to the post, it is now expected that the NFF will announce the successful candidate which is rumoured to be Ladan Bosso.
Who is Ladan Bosso?
The 47 year veteran coach of the Nigerian Professional Football League has national team coaching experience predominantly in age grade competitions.
He served as an assistant to several Under-17 national team head coaches before he himself was appointed head coach of the unsuccessful Under-20 national team that went to the 2007 World Cup. He would also manage the 2009 Under-20 national team in the world cup qualifiers but was sacked with Samson Siasia ultimately leading the team to the tournament to the tournament in Egypt.
Research also shows that Ladan Bosso was linked to the appointment of the Home-based Super Eagles head coach position in 2010 but that was a period of terrible under-achievement as the team failed to qualify for CHAN consecutively.
Among the clubs he has coached in the domestic scene are Wikki Tourist, Niger Tornadoes, Bayelsa United (where he had most success to date without winning the league), Abia Warriors, El-Kanemi and Ifeanyi Ubah FC.
He is currently the President of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association.
Is he the right man for the Home-based Super Eagles job?
That is debatable.
With no noteworthy track record of eye catching achievements in the domestic or continental football scene, it baffles many footballer observers why Bosso would be linked to such a high profile position in the national team.
With many fans still miffed about the appointment of an unqualified Joseph Yobo to the Super Eagles coach crew, the appointment of Ladan Bosso – if it indeed materialises – will only serve to add another ring to the lengthening chain of eyebrow-raising appointments made by the NFF in recent times.