Sports Minister John Enoh, has said it is unacceptable for Super Eagles coaches to stay abroad, saying expatriates should remain in the country to do their job in order to foster the development of the local league.
The Minister criticized the neglect of the home-based players in selecting the Super Eagles squad. He said the local lads suffer such ignominy because the coaches stay in Europe to monitor only foreign-based players.
Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has demonstrated his ultimate preference for players based in Europe; he included just one home-based player, Ojo Olurunleke, in his recent squad list for the international friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique.
The minister slammed the coach, saying he hasn’t done enough to develop the league by neglecting the local-based players. He said it is imperative for the coach to make inclusion in the national team competitive for all players, regardless of where they play.
He said, “In the past, we didn’t have a national team dominated by foreign-based professionals. Now we have a situation where the national team coach stays abroad and visits our players in their different clubs in Europe. This must not be the case; we need to have the national team coach live in Nigeria with an interest in our local league. The credibility of this league will play a part in the number of players that we are going to have in the national team
“I don’t think it is proper for players to have the automatic shirt in the national team just because one player plays abroad. I am looking forward to the time when everyone will struggle for a place in the national team and players from the local league will be part of the team.”