AFCON 2019: Super Eagles Beat Burundi 1-0, As Zira Advises NNF Enough Of Foreign Coaches

Super Eagles AFCON squad

Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Saturday defeated Burundi 1-0 in team’s opening match at ongoing Africa Nations Cup (AFCON) in Egypt.

Eagles striker Odion Ighalo who came in as substitute netted the only goal of the match for the Super Eagles to seal a vital three points for the Gernot Rohr tutored side.

This is even as Emmanuel Zira, a renowned sports administrator, says it is time to end the hiring of foreign coaches for the national teams.

Zira said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday following the performance of the Super Eagles and Falcons in their separate national assignments.

Falcons lost 0-3 to Germany in the Round of 16 at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria, however, managed a 1-0 victory against debutants Burundi at the African Cup in Nations (AFCON) first Group B game, also on Saturday.

Zira, who is a former chairman of Adamawa United FC,  said both coaches of the senior teams had not done anything different with the sides.

Thomas Dennerby of Sweden manages the female team while German Gernot Rohr is with the male team.

“I don’t see any improvement with the two sides. I  think the Super Eagles have grown worse than they were when we had local coaches as their handlers.

” The game against Burundi was nothing to write home about. We were simply lucky to have three points.

” On the part of Falcons, I don’t think they have the right coach to channel an excellent tactical game. It’s all below average.

” We just keep paying these coaches millions of naira when we could spend same money by sponsoring local coaches on courses abroad.

“We have talented coaches at home who could place us on a better echelon in world football.

“Falcons need to go back to the drawing board and get things right,” he said.-NAN