Within the week, the Secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation came out with a circular advertising for the position of the Head Coach of both the National U-17 team and the Super Eagles.

That of the Super Eagles became imperative following the departure of Mr Jose Passeiro (MON). The coach that led the Super Eagles to win silver medal at the just concluded Africa Nations cup in Coted'ivoire. 

Since the departure of Passeiro, many have agitated for the appointment of an indigenous coach for the Super Eagles. Those supporting the appointment of a coach of Nigerian descent have argued that only an indigenous coach can give his best to the country, come rain come shine.

But, Box 18 has its serious reservation on the appointment of an indigenous Coach for the Super Eagles.

This is not for want of the personnel, nor the managerial and technical abilities, but for the lack of will power to support them to success. A cursory look at the appointment of indigenous coaches from 1954 to date, have shown that none of the coaches have been given opportunity to stabilize in the job. They are removed whenever they start understanding them selves.

Daniel Anyiam was there in 1954–1956, he returned again in 1964–1965. It was the turn of Peter ‘Eto’ Amaechina in 1969-1970. Foreign Coaches took over until 1983, when Festus Onigbinde took over till 1984, Chris Udemezue came in  1984 to 1986, and Patrick Ekeji in 1985. It was the turn of Paul Hamilton from 1987 to 1989. Shaibu Amodu  came for his first sojourn in 1994 to 1995, again in 1996 to 1997. He came again in 2001 to 2002 before he was sacked after qualifying the Super Eagles for the World cup. Amodu was dealt another deadly blow in 2008- 2010, when he qualified the country for the first World cup in Africa, and was replaced by an European coach. Monday Sinclair came briefly in  1997–1998, Festus Onigbinde returned in 2002, Christian Chukwu came in  2002–2005, Augustine Eguavoen 2005–2007, 2010, 2023 James Peters 2008. It was Samson Siasia's turn in 2010–2011
Nigeria: Stephen Keshi 2011–2015, Daniel Amokachi 2014–2015, then Sunday Oliseh (2015-2016).

In all these, the indigenous coaches have lived up to their responsibilities with little support from those that gave them the job. In 1983 when Festus Onigbinde took over as the Coach of the then Green Eagles, Onigbinde had only one ball to train 30 players, and no bus for the players, he went ahead to win a silver medal at the 1984 AFCON in Ivory Coast. Shaibu Amodu was shoved aside in 2001 after qualifying the country for the 2002 World cup in Korea/Japan and winning a bronze medal at the AFCON 2002 In Mali. Same scenario played out again in 2010, after he qualified the Super Eagles for the World cup in South Africa and won bronze at the AFCON in Angola. Christian Chukwu won bronze in Egypt 2004. The greatest among them was Stephen Keshi who suffered the greatest of humiliation among his employer's, he still went ahead to win the gold at the 2013 AFCON, won bronze medal at CHAN, and qualified the Super Eagles for the 2014 World cup without dropping a point. He was finally disgraced out of office, maybe because he was an indigenous coach.

Now that an open applications have been called for the appointment of the Head Coach of Super Eagles, it has become evident that a new coach of the team will be an indigenous one. Who the Coach would be, is to be decided by the technical men of the NFF.

Appointing the Coach will not be the problem, but extending the needed support for him to  succeed is the main issue. Nigerians who are just like the biblical Israelites who will demand for a king, and still demand for his removal, should be ready to extend the hands of support to the Coach and shun tribal and religious sentiments which will affect his responsibilities.

The NFF should as a matter of responsibility be ready to extend the needed support to the Coach to succeed.