Former Italian National team goalkeeper and Manager at Cagliari, Walter Zenga has revealed his intention to coach the Super Eagles of Nigeria is borne out of the desire to leave a lasting legacy in country, by building a viable national team starting with the home based players.

The Coach who spoke through his Agent Alberto “Jimmy” Fontana, said no Coach can be successful in a country like Nigeria, without first identifying the young and talented players based at home, before scouting for the overseas based players.

The Coach who was born on 28 April 1960 and last managed Serie A club Cagliari, said he would always relate with the foreign based players regularly, and bring them down to the do the job.

According to him, he believes that it is not just coaching a National team, or playing and qualifying for the World Cup and Nations Cup, but building a lasting legacy as his contract lasts.

The long-time goalkeeper for Inter Milan and the Italian National team said “I already have a three 3 years action plan, and we would need to work closely with the technical committee to get it actualize, because the job is not a one man show. We would involve all members of the committee to develop the game in the country. Nigeria has abudant of talents that needs to be harness to make them realize the Super Eagles that will be the best in the world “. He said that there is a need to bring back the honours to the Super Eagles, and that he has all it takes to do that.

Former Italian National team goalkeeper and Manager at Cagliari, Walter Zenga has announced his intention to Coach the Super Eagles of Nigeria, and has submitted his application to the Secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation.

According to his agent, Alberto “Jimmy” Fontana, the Coach who was born on 28 April 1960 last managed Serie A club Cagliari. He was a long-time goalkeeper for Inter Milan and the Italian National team

His first managerial job was as Player-Manager of New England Revolution.
He had a short stint with Milanese Serie D team Brera Calcio, before moving to Romania in 2002, where he managed Naţional București and then Steaua București where he won the domestic title and reached the Round of 16 of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup after eliminating UEFA Cup winners Valencia from the competition.

In the summer of 2005, Zenga joined Red Star Belgrade, leading the Serbo-Montenegrin team to a double (National League and National cup).

In the summer of 2006, Zenga was appointed as the coach of Turkish Süper Lig side Gaziantepspor; he resigned in January 2007 in order to accept an offer from United Arab Emirates club Al-Ain.

In September 2007, Zenga was announced as new Manager of Dinamo București, replacing Mircea Rednic.

Other teams he handled included Catania in April 2008, he saved them from relegation to Serie B and Palermo in 2009.

On 11 May 2010, he was announced new head coach of Saudi Professional League club Al-Nassr and later moved to Al Nasr SC in 2011 in the UAE Pro-League.

When he returned to Italy in 2015, Zenga was appointed head coach at Serie A side Sampdoria for the 2015–16 season. In 2016, he was at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

On 8 December 2017, Zenga was appointed Crotone manager and took over in Cagliari in March 2020.

During his playing career, Zenga was part of the Italian squad that finished fourth at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and was the starting goalkeeper for the Italian team that finished third in the 1990 FIFA World Cup tournament held in Italy, keeping a World Cup record unbeaten streak. A three-time winner of the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper Award, Zenga is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of all time.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) deserves all the encomiums after releasing a 24-man Home-Based Super Eagles for an international friendly game against Mexico on July 3rd.

Last time out for the Home-Based Eagles was the game against Togo in the CHAN qualifiers, where they failed to qualify for the local AFCON in Lagos two years ago.

The July 3rd tune-up game billed for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in California, United States of America, is part of Mexico’s Mex Tour Series.

Meanwhile, not all good players in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) got the chance to make the 24-man list but those that did got the invitation on merit as they have been fantastic with their respective teams this season.

The inclusion of Plateau United midfielder, Uche Onwuasonya on the list by the Super Eagles technical crew is a good choice, as the former Niger Tornadoes star is the future of national male football team.

Onwuasonya, 21, and a former Flying Eagles has really improved his game and has been in top form for his Jos based team since joining them.

His style of play in Plateau United is unique, as he can play in the centre and both flanks. A tough midfielder as he can take on opposing player dribbling the ball, a good passer of the ball, dictate the pacy of his team play and off course score goals.

His last season performance, saw the former Enyimba midfielder scoring seven (7) goals and provided five assists. This season, he has also made some assist and got one goal.

Onwuasonya was star for Plateau United in the CAF Champions League. Despite the club’s painful early exit that saw the Maikaba side losing via a lone goal to Simba of Tanzania, the performance of Onwuasonya marveled the fans and the visiting team.

As the Home Based Eagles camp at the Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuse, Abuja for eight days, Onwuasonya should be among the final 22 player will make the trip scheduled for June 30th.

This is just as the Special Adviser to Rivers State Governor on Real Madrid Academy, Barrister Christopher Green, says the state government remains fully resolute in their quest of making the project the best ever in Africa.

Rohr, who showered encomiums on the structures, intentions, and executions made so far on the prestigious academy, stated this at the weekend when he was shown around the facility by Green.

After a comprehensive tour around the four different blocks of the Academy situated in the same surroundings as the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt, Rohr could not hold back his admiration for the project and the facilitator, Governor Nyesom Wike.

In Rohr’s company for the tour were Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Director Austin Eguavoen and Super Eagles’ Team Secretary Dayo Enebi Achor.

According to him, “The infrastructures are high level, it’s like in Europe and you can compare with one of the best academies in Europe like they have in Spain; Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia or in France in Paris (PSG) and in Germany in Bayern Munich.

“I think they (Real Madrid Academy, Port Harcourt) are ready to start this programme with these wonderful structures and also with the good pitch. It will be very interesting to see what they can do.

“I think the Governor has done great work and now they have to select the best players and bring some good players in a few years to the future,” said the 67-year old expatriate coach.

Aside from the outdoor facilities comprising of a football pitch and well-constructed swimming pool among others; Barrister Green took Rohr and his contingent round the academic blocks which house classrooms, staff rooms, student hostels, ICT rooms, Biology, Physics and Chemistry laboratories, Dining Halls and other meticulous provisions provided for in the well thought out structure.

Rohr specifically expressed delight in the academic aspect of the Real Madrid Academy.

“What I like is that it is not just football, but there is also the school side. There are teachers who will be coming because you are never sure to succeed in football and if you don’t succeed, there can be injuries, there can be other problems, it is good to have the school side also and that they did not forget it,” he said.

Eguavoen who has coached several Nigerian national teams in the past could also not hold back in his admiration while describing the quality of infrastructure put in place at the Treasure Base of the Nation.

“I am very impressed. What else can you ask for, for football development? Combining education with football is what we’ve been craving for and what we’ve come here to see today is wonderful, it is excellent and hopefully, we will gain from this in time to come.

“I don’t think any other academy will beat this (in Nigeria) except maybe if you come in here and you have an interest and are passionate about what you want to achieve and when you see this, you want to better this. But for now, I don’t think anyone will be able to better it,” he stated

This is to strengthen the Nigeria league as well as give opportunities to home based players.

According to the statement emanating from the Sports Ministry “Our National Team must have an injection of home based players drawn from the professional league. The Technical Adviser must live in Nigeria and monitor the professional league in order to pick talented home lads. Players must be picked on their current form weekly. This idea of asking his assistants to monitor the domestic game is unacceptable. NFF must establish a camp where players assemble to train.”

The statement further said, “Technical Adviser must watch weekly games preferably the top of the table fixtures as it is done in other countries. NFF must explore and commence the provision of contents when it comes to the games played in the NPFL on an incremental basis.”

The recent poor performance by the Super Eagles against Sierra Leone is a source of worry to all Nigerians and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) must be ready to take a bold decision on Gernot Rohr if the slide continues, a source in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has said.
According to the impeccable source,

“The two legged draw against Sierra Leone calls to question the technical competence and commitment of Gernot Rohr to the team. The Super Eagles is Nigerian’s biggest football brand which cannot be toyed with. If Rohr fails to meet the expectations of millions of Nigerians, then we will have no choice but to do the needful. The NFF must be ready to take the bull by the horns instead of hastily defending Rohr. This poor result trend should not repeat itself, otherwise we shall review the entire team set up. The Super Eagles represent more than 200 million people, they wear our national colour and sing the national anthem. They don’t represent any individuals or federation, but the entire country.

The aspirations of millions of Nigerians cannot be mortgaged by an individual or small group of people”

The source further said “The match against Sierra Leone is a wake up call to review the entire Eagles set up, the coach, players and even those who administer the game. The Ministry has a responsibility to review what happened to avoid a repeat of such poor performance in the future.”

This is coming on the trail of NFF President Amaju Pinnick defence of Rohr. Amaju had told the BBC

“Nobody is happy about what happened against Sierra Leone in both matches. But it is not enough to sack the coach because his team is still top of the Nations Cup group after four matches.

“His statistics speaks volume for him, so on what indexes do we want to sack him considering the contract recently signed by both parties.

“No matter how emotional and disappointed the fans are, there’s no basis to sack him now and he deserves to keep his job.”

Signed

Media Office to the Honourable Minister of  Youth and Sports Development

The Minister while speaking in an interview said he was not averse to the contract extension but insisted that Nigerians must get results if the German coach must stay on.

“The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is statutorily in charge of the growth and development of football in Nigeria. Of course under the supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

“Even before I became Minister, there are processes and procedures that are followed when it comes to bringing on a new national coach or renewing the contract of a coach who is already in the house and I think it was important for us to follow the processes and procedures in place.

“For Rohr, because he had been signed on earlier, he deserved to be given the right of first refusal, that was what the NFF did and that was what I also allowed to happen. It is best practices, it is global practices but the NFF also had a review of his performance in the last three to four years and based on that review, his new contract had new conditions that never existed before. Some of them bordering on mode of payment, some of them bordering technical issues regarding the development of our football and that to me, is fundamental.”

Mr. Dare added that it would not be business as usual, insisting that the coach would be held to a higher depth of responsibility, a greater depth of technicality and a greater level of success where he could have his contract reviewed if he falls short of the direction outlined in the terms of his contract.

Mr Dare promised to support the coach and the team to succeed even as expressed concerns at the current state of football in Nigeria with an optimistic assertion that things would get better.

He said “Are we happy about where our football is at the moment? Not exactly but we know there’s an ongoing process that will make this country a better football nation. That process is on and you are part of the process,” Mr. Dare told Rohr.

He further expressed hope that Nigeria would maintain the recent victory against Lesotho, “Nigeria is a football loving nation. We love our football and we also love our victories,” the minister said.

He urged the coach to share experiences with the domestic league coaches.

Coach Gernot Rohr, who asserted that the Minister is going in the right direction said, “I wish you good luck and I hope we can work together.”

Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr has picked in-form Granada of Spain midfielder Ramon Azeez and Czech –based forward Peter Olayinka in Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the prestige friendly with five –time world champions Brazil in Singapore on Sunday, 13^th October.

Rohr also have defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Abdullahi Shehu and Chidozie Awaziem back from injury, otherwise the squad is largely unchanged from the side that was forced to a 2-2 draw by Ukraine in Dnipro on 10^thSeptember.

Goalkeepers Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Maduka Okoye are retained, but England –based Leon Balogun and Russia –based Bryan Idowu are left out of the defence equation.

Former U20 team captain Ramon Azeez is called just as Leicester of England’s Kelechi Iheanacho is left out, while Girondins Bordeaux’s Joshua Maja will sit this one out, his place taken by another new boy, Peter Olayinka.

England –based midfielder Wilfred Ndidi also returns after missing the Ukraine encounter with injury. Alex Iwobi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Scotland –based Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, who scored on his debut against Ukraine, are all back in midfield, with Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu and Emmanuel Dennis all back in the frontline.

Substantive captain Ahmed Musa is still down with injury.

All invited players are expected to arrive in Singapore on Wednesday, 9^th October.

Nigeria and Brazil will tango in a much –anticipated encounter at the Singapore National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore on Sunday, 13^th October, 23 years after Nigeria, on their way to winning Africa’s first Olympic football gold, spanked the Selecao in the semi finals at the Athens Stadium in the State of Georgia, USA.

23 EAGLES TO BATTLE BRAZIL

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC); Emil Maduka Okoye (Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Chidozie Awaziem (CD Leganes, Spain); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)

Midfielders: Alexander Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Anderson Esiti (PAOK Salonica, Greece); Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Ramon Azeez (Granada FC, Spain)

Forwards: Victor Osimhen (Lille OSC, France); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Samuel Kalu (Girondins Bordeaux, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Emmanuel Dennis (Club Brugge, Belgium); Peter Olayinka (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)