Ex international, Joseph Dosu has expressed his support to the newly appointed Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Tuesday evening announced former Malian Coach, Chelle as a new head coach of senior national team in preparation for FIFA World Cup qualifying group matches begin on March.
The appointment of Chelle has generated arguments among Nigerian football stakeholders,While some see the appointment as unacceptable following his unimpressive records in his coaching career others felt that it is a step in right direction for the national team.
The Atlanta Olympic 1996 gold medalist told our correspondent that this is not the time football stakeholders should condemn the appointment of Chelle instead, Nigerians should rally round him and give him necessary support to qualify the country for the FIFA World Cup.
“We should support the young man to succeed on the job.To me, I don’t see anything wrong in the appointment of Coach Chelle because I saw what he did for Mali national team especially at the last AFCON in Ivory coast.
“He is a good coach, very tactical and his coaching pattern in the last AFCON was very impressive.I understand that he may not meet the expectations of Nigerian football stakeholders looking at his antecedent as a coach but I want to believe that he is coming to Nigeria to deliver and give Nigeria qualification ticket,”he said.
The former Super Eagles goalie reminded Nigerians that NFF had appointed coaches with track records in the past but failed to deliver on their jobs, while a local coach has won AFCON Cup for the country.
“Coaching a national team is an opportunity for any appointed coach to meet the expectations of his employer which Late Stephen Keshi did in 2015 AFCON in South Africa.
“Coach Clement Westerhorf came to Nigeria without an impressive records and when he came here, we gave him time and necessary support before he won AFCON Cup for us in 1994 and qualifed us for the first ever FIFA World Cup in USA,”he said.
Dosu who is also a founder of Dosu Joseph Football Club urged stakeholders to continue supporting the new coach saying that what is important thing is to see Nigeria book a place in next year’s FIFA World Cup.
