There are funny stories accompanying some expatriates employed to manage the Super Eagles in the past. While officials sat in their comfy offices expecting the best from the tacticians, events played out differently from expectations. The coaches were out of Nigeria, for good.
It began with Otman Calder in December 1973. Director of the National Sports Commision, Chief Jerry Enyeazu, had taken pains to bring the German to prepare Nigeria for the 1974 World Cup in Germany. Calder spent a few weeks with the players and abandoned the job.
Enyeazu did not know what hit him thinking that Calder could have missed his way in Lagos. A search party was organized from his hotel room.. It later dawned on the NSC boss that it was a wild goose effort. The manager had gone back to Europe without the courtesy of informing his employers.
Manfred Hoener, another German national, was hired just before the Maroc ’88 Africa nations Cup where the Eagles won silver but returned to be renamed Super Eagles by Admiral Augustus Aikhomu. The job of qualifying the team had been perfected by Paul Hamilton before Hoener emerged.
The German also led Nigeria to the Seoul’88Olympic Games. The Eagle, captained by Sylvanus Okpala came back empty handed. The manager was also being owed his wages and did not know he could beg to be paid. He caught the next available flight back to his country.
As Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, Justice Chuba Ikpeazu, had sleepless nights over Hoener’s plight. He did his best possible to ensure that justice prevailed. The retired High Court judge eventually made sure the wages were ready and personally sent them to Hoener in Germany. He was sacked not long after and it was good Ikpeazu took action for the outstanding salary would have also disappeared.
Carlos Albero Torres, captained Brazil to Mexico’70 World Cup glory scoring one of the spectacular goals of the tournament. In 1994, he was engaged to coach the Eagles. The man arrived Lagos quite alright and was introduced to the media. In next 24 hours, instead of coming out with an action plan, Torres was back in Brazil.
It was like an opportunity lost. That would have been ‘O Capitao do Tri’s’ first job as national coach. He had managed top Brazilian clubs like: Flamengo, Corinthian, Fluminense and Botafogo. Funny enough, when Torres eventually bagged the job of Azerbaijan coach in 2004, he did not last beyond a game. After losing to Poland , the Brazilian descended on a match official and walked away from there.
He embarrassed his employers the more in 1994 when he told the world that he heard :” Nigeria don’t pay”. He could have been right. The expatriate before him, Clemens Westerhof was able to find his way round football officials by establishing direct link with Adm. Aikhomu who was de facto Vice President.
In 1998, another Dutchman, Thys Libregts, took his turn. I met him in Burkina Faso during a Nations Cup qualifier between Eagles and the Stallions. We got talking and my impression was that the man was the best for the country at the time. His spoken English was flawless and he was proud to say. “I am from Rotterdam”.
His appointment was well deserved for the only world class coach Nigeria ever had before him was Professor Otto Gloria of Brazil who took the Eagles to a first Nations Cup win in 1980. Libregts qualified Holland for the Italia’ 90 World Cup after taking over from Rinus Michels. He never made it to the Mundial though, giving way to Leo Beenhakker. The Netherlander had also managed PSV Eindhoven, PAOK Salonica and Olympiacos.
Captained by Mutiu Adepoju, the Eagles got a comfortable draw in what I guess, was Eddie Dombraye’s first competitive cap. Willie Opara was in goal, Duke Udi had a good outing and the players were free with the new coach. Libregts gave Jero Shakpoke a pat on the back as he hurried to the Ouagadougou airport to catch a flight back to his base a few hours after the encounter.
The Supporters club arrived Burkina in two Chisco luxury buses after a 48-hoour trip. They lodged on the same Avenue Kwame Nkrumah as the Eagles and Libregts found them quite amazing. The relationship he had tried to build did not materialize. The usual Nigerian disease soon took over. The Dutch had no time to complain. He left in 1999 without informing his employers.
Beyond the Eagles, Iwuanyanwu Nationale[Heartland] also went through the embarrassment of hide and seek with a foreign coach. In 1991, they went for Panea Panov,a Bulgarian. The Naze miilionaires had worked with Dmitris Theophanis of Greece to win their first Challenge Cup in 1988 and also play in the finals of the CAF Champion’s League same year.
After a 1999 Champions’ League first round match with Old Edwardians of Sierra Leone, Panov told Chief Lemmy Akakem and other top club officials that he was traveling to Port Harcourt to see off his wife. An official car was provided for the journey. The driver waited till thy kingdom come and there was no Panov. He got confused thinking that the Bulgarian had run into trouble somewhere. A search party was raised. It was a huge shock to discover that the man was in the air with his wife, both on their way back to Europe.
