NFF REJECT WESTERHOF,INSIST ON AMODU

FOOTBALL:
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, have reportedly rejected National Sports Commission, NSC’s attempt to have Clemens Westerhof join the technical crew of the Super Eagles for the remaining games of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.


A football website,Goal reported yesterday that the NSC suggested the name of the former technical adviser of the Eagles during the meeting called Tuesday by president Umaru Yar’Adua to suggest the way forward for the Nigerian national team following the drab barren draw played in Maputo late last month against Mozambique.


The NFF.according to the report by goal insisted under-fire Eagles boss,Amodu Shaibu is capable of securing the world cup ticket for Nigeria.


“One of the reasons Westerhof succeeded was that he enjoyed the backing and confidence of top government functionaries led by then Vice-President, Augustus Aikhomu. He also did not achieve what he did in a year. We forget that he even lost the ticket to the 1990 World Cup in Italy. But we stuck with him even after that and after a couple of years, he produced the goods,” a top NFF official reportedly told the website.


“Amodu has been in charge for just about a year and in seven competitive games, he has won six and drawn one. We should therefore not do anything that will distract him at this point.”


Officials said government is very interested in Nigeria’s qualification for the 2010 World Cup as it would form part of the celebrations of the country’s 50th independence anniversary next year.


They have therefore asked the NFF to come forward with any requests they believe will ensure the Eagles qualification for South Africa 2010.


Lulu, it was gathered, is open to an increase in the win-bonus of the team, but made it very clear that he does not have a budget for this increase unless the government could help out in this regard.


For a victory, each player is paid $5,000 while a draw fetches them half that amount.
“We are studying this proposal seriously,” another top NFF official informed Goal.


A foreign training tour,aqccording to the website has also been proposed in between the home game against Kenya and the crunch clash in Tunisia.


When Complete Sports sought confirmation from NFF boss,Sani Lulu,he was evasive in his reply.
‘’I don’t want to discuss what we disscussed with the president with an outsider.It is not right to do so and that will not be respecting the president’’,Lulu said.


But another member of the NFF told Complete Sports nothing of such was discussed at the meeting.


‘’No,that is not true.I was at the meeting and the NSC officials did nothing like that albeit before the meeting it was speculated that they were planning to draft Westerhof to the team’’,said the official who did not want to be named.


The Carthage Eagles of Tunisia top Group 2 with three points after a round of matches while Nigeria and Mozambique are two points behind. Kenya are bottom of the standings with no points after their home loss to the Tunisians.