Ex-Barcelona winger sets the record straight on reports he turned down NFF Technical Director job

Emmanuel Amuneke has dismissed reports which claimed that he turned down the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director job in 2020.

Amuneke admitted that he was approached by Nigerian Federation boss Amaju Pinnick and accepted the offer though he was under contract with Egyptian club El Makkasa as their technical director.

"I didn't reject anything, sometimes people talk about you behind but it's good I set the record straight," Amuneke said.

"It's true that I was appointed, Pinnick in question spoke to me and I spoke to him and I told him Nigeria comes first in as much I am engaged in Egypt with a team but things have to be done professionally.

"I'm engaged in Egypt and my country wants me, I cannot walk away from my country, I have to seek the consent of those that brought me to Egypt and which is eventually what I did."

Amuneke revealed that talks with the Nigerian Federation collapsed because El Makkasa demanded compensation to free him from his contract.

It is being claimed in some quarters that Amuneke was not considered for the interim Super Eagles job because he didn't take up the role of Technical Director last year, something which has been disputed by the 50-year-old.

"When Pinnick called me and told me about the Technical Director job I told him no problem and I told him I was on a contract, I have to discuss with the President of the club to get his consent.

"I discussed with the Club President and they told me that if I want to go there is a certain amount of money which I don't want to mention that I have to pay.

"I discussed it with Pinnick that look at the plans, the President doesn't want me to go so if somebody is saying I turned them down because they offered me a job and that's the reason why they are not giving me Super Eagles job, we are too big to be cooking stories and talking negative things at people's back," Amuneke stressed.

A holder of UEFA Pro Coaching License, Amuneke was in the dugout when the Golden Eaglets won the 2015 U17 World Cup, has coached the Flying Eagles in the past and was Tanzania's coach at the last Africa Cup of Nations.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel