The Nigeria Football Association, NFA will name the manager for their national team, the Super Eagles this weekend. The top contenders, who were interviewed Thursday, are former England managers Glenn Hoddle and Sven Goran Eriksson .
Hoddle, now 52, who has managed several club sides including Chelsea and Tottenham, would be unlikely to accept the job long-term as he has told that he has turned down more than 15 job offers in the past year to continue with his own project.
Hoddle runs an academy in the south of Spain designed to give young players who have been released by clubs in England a new chance to make a career in the professional game. Nonetheless, he may be persuaded to take charge of Nigeria for the World Cup finals.
Africansportsdigest.com gathered from sources at the Nigerian Football house that Eriksson is readily available for the job, although some panel mebers favoured Hoddle.
“I think Eriksson may eventually get the job, Hoddle is being considered too because they are handing out a short term contract for the World Cup. It’s a tough call but a decision must be taken this weekend,” Our source said.
Eriksson, 62, has experience at international level from his five years with England and during a brief stint with Mexico from 2008 to 2009, and Nigeria believe he possesses the credentials needed in South Africa. Eriksson is understood to be extremely interested in the prospect of coaching Nigeria at this summer’s World Cup finals.
Eriksson, though, is the more realistic target as he now has no other commitments having left his role as director of football at League Two side Notts County this month following the club’s takeover.
The NFF has had to move fast to find a successor to give them as much time as possible to prepare for this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.
The NFA spokesman Ademola Olajire assured that the coach to be picked will be from the pool of managers so far interviewed.
“The coaches interviewed were very excited and showed great enthusiasm, the one to be appointed as Eagles Manager will be from these names mentioned. By weekend the new coach will be known,” Olajire assured.
Nigeria have been without a coach since Shaibu Amodu was seconded to handle the Eagles team B shortly after his side’s disappointing outing at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.