HOUSE OF REPS VOTES FOR FOREIGN COACH

By NBF News

The House of Representatives has added another twist to the raging debate over the future of Coach Samson Siasia as the Super Eagles' chief coach, when they emphatically stated that the team needs a world-class tactician to handle it.

Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Hon. Godfrey Gaya, who dropped the hint while fielding questions from Daily Sunsports in Abuja shortly after Nigeria failed to pick the 2012 Africa Nations Cup, noted that there was a clear indication that the current handler lacks the technical and tactical knowhow and competence to handle the team.

Although Hon. Gaya completely dismissed the complexion of who should handle the team, he, however, maintained that it's time we set aside sentiments in hiring who takes charge of what he described as national emolument that holds the citizens of this country together.

Reacting with burning rage and fury over the Nigeria's failure to pick the 2012 Africa Nations Cup, the honourable, representing Zango/Kataf Federal Constituency, insisted that Super Eagles needs an experienced and competent tactician. 'Nigerians must go for the best coach at all times and I believe that if a white coach is the best, we must not stop short of bringing in who we feel is the best to handle our national team. It is obvious that there are coaches who have proved themselves first as team players, and thereafter, as coaches at national team and clubside.

'So, if we think that the best for us is to go for the best, I think we should set aside sentiments and go for a world-class coach. From what we saw over the weekend, we have seen that we have a coach who is bereaved of ideas on how to checkmate the idea of another coach obvious superior to him.

'I want to, however, point out that the colour of your skin makes you superior to others. I said that the most important thing is to go for the best in whatever endeavour you embark upon. The most important thing is that whoever we want to use must be somebody with experience and has the tactics with which he can improve Nigerian players.

'A Nigerian player has a mindset and we need somebody who can decode that mentality and really get the best out of him. Clemence Westerhof did that when he handled the Super Eagles. He was able to read the mindset of Nigerian players. That was why he succeeded,' Hon. Gaya noted.