Nigeria Coach Shuaibu Amodu Lashes Out Over Speculation Regarding His Future

Nigeria coach Shuaibu Amodu has lashed out at those asking for him to be fired, despite qualifying Nigeria for next year's World Cup.

Amodu made history when he became the only coach to qualify Nigeria to two World Cups - 2002 and 2010 - but there has been a clamour for him to be replaced by a foreign coach ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations in January as questions persist about his tactics and team selection.

"How many teams in the world play ten matches and don't drop a game? To now ask whether I should stay or not, is not correct," Amodu told Nigerian sports radio station Brila FM.

"I was given a mandate to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup, and I have done that.

"Is it a problem to coach Nigeria? People should know I have a life, I have a family."

In 2001, Amodu became the first Nigerian coach to qualify the African nation to a World Cup. However, he fell out with the authorities soon after the 2002 Nations Cup in Mali and was replaced by Adeboye Onigbinde for the finals in Korea and Japan.

Amodu has now advocated continuity, arguing that the team who qualified the country to the World Cup should feature at the Nations Cup in Angola and thereafter at the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Goal.com has exclusively gathered that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have kicked against a Presidential Task Force engaging a foreign coach on their behalf.

"It is the responsibility of the NFF to appoint a coach, local or foreign, and not any other group," an official said.

"Where will the loyalty of the foreign coach they want to appoint be? With them or with the NFF?"

Samm Audu, Goal.com