By Nuel Suji – The Nigeria Football Federation has named Frenchman Paul Le Guen as the new Super Eagles technical adviser.
Mr. Le Guen will work with current caretaker boss Salisu Yusuf who has been given the role of ‘chief coach.’
The appointments are subject to agreement of contract terms with the NFF Executive Committee.
They were both named on a shortlist along with Belgian Tom Sainfiet earlier this month.
Coach Imama Amapakabo and goalkeeping trainer Alloy Agu will also work with Le Guen and Yusuf.
Le Guen, 52, had lead Cameroon to the 2010 World Cup finals while Yusuf led the Super Eagles to friendly wins against Mali and Luxembourg in May.
Nigeria have failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon but are in the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
Sunday Oliseh was the last permanent coach of Nigeria before he quit in February in a row over his contract.
They have been drawn in Group B where they will face, the top-ranked side in Africa Algeria, Le Guen’s former charges Cameroon as well as Zambia in the race to reach Russia.
The new crew’s immediate challenge is a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania in the first week of September – a dead rubber, but which would serve as ample preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match away to Zambia on October 3.
The Technical and Development Committee of the NFF also recommended to the NFF Board, the appointment of one time Super Eagles’ assistant coach Bitrus Bewarang as the new NFF Technical Director. Bewarang, who is president of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, will replace the late Coach Shaibu Amodu.
There is also a recommendation that former Super Eagles’ defender Nduka Ugbade be restored to the U17 National Team as assistant to Coach Manu Garba.
