The reason behind ex-Everton forward Daniel Amokachi’s refusal to join the Super Eagles as an assistant coach under head coach Finidi George has been disclosed by former Nigerian international Emmanuel Babayaro.
Amokachi was picked to serve as one of Finidi’s assistants after the former Ajax midfielder was appointed as the Super Eagles’ permanent head coach. It was claimed that Amokachi had been offered a contract to that effect in May.
Daniel Amokachi refused to show up
However, Amokachi did not show up for the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic, indicating that the 1996 Olympic winner does not want to be a part of the team’s current coaching staff.
Babayaro reveals reason behind Amokachi’s snub
Emmanuel Babayaro, a fellow member of Nigeria’s dream squad that won the gold medal at the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, has surmised the terms of Amokachi’s contract by guessing the reason behind his absence.
Babayaro wrote on his Facebook page, “Amokachi was appointed Super Eagles assistant coach under these conditions –and his appearance in any Super Eagles engagement is on needs basis and subject to the head coach’s discretions.
“How demeaning can these conditions be? Amokachi said yes to the appointment as the Super Eagles assistant coach but an emphatic no to the demeaning conditions attached thereto. And yes, the conditions were only just communicated recently.”
Babayaro, whose brother Celestine played for Chelsea in the Premier League, claims that Amokachi left the Super Eagles due to the demeaning conditions in the contract, leaving Nigeria’s technical crew one coach short.
