Paul Le Guen Named Nigeria Coach; Ugbade Returns To Eaglets; Bewarang Replaces Late Amodu

The Technical and Development Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation on Monday named Frenchman Paul Le Guen, 52, as the new head coach  of the Senior National Team, Super Eagles.

He will be assisted by Nigerian Salisu Yusuf. The appointments are subject to agreement of contract terms with the NFF Executive Committee.

New Eagles’ boss Le Guen steered the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

He played for Brest, Nantes and Paris Saint Germain and won 17 caps for France, before coaching Rennes, Lyon, PSG (in France) and Glasgow Rangers (in Scotland). He also coached Oman.

Yusuf, capped at U20 level by Nigeria, called the shots in interim capacity for two international friendly matches in Europe at the end of May, which the Eagles won.

Spokesman of the Committee, Paul Bassey, told thenff.com after the meeting at the NFF secretariat on Monday that Enugu Rangers gaffer Imama Amapakabo and former Super Eagles’ goalkeeper and skipper Alloy Agu, who served as assistant coach and goalkeeper trainer for the games against Mali and Luxembourg in May, retain their places in the technical crew.

 The new crew’s immediate challenge is a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania in the first week of September – a dead rubber, but which would serve as ample preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match away to Zambia on October 3.

The Committee has also recommended to the NFF Board, the appointment of one –time Super Eagles’ assistant coach Bitrus Bewarang as the new NFF Technical Director.

Bewarang, who is president of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, will replace the late Coach Shaibu Amodu.

There is also a recommendation that former Super Eagles’ defender Nduka Ugbade be restored to the U17 National Team as assistant to Coach Manu Garba.

Ferdinand Mbum