Nigeria sack Shaibu Amodu
Reuters - Saturday 06 February 2010, 08:30
ABUJA - Nigeria have sacked coach Shaibu
Amodu following their third place finish at the African Nations
Cup and have begun the search to replace him with the World Cup
finals just four months away.
Amodu had been given official backing in Angola during the
Nations Cup by the federation's board as the pressure began to
mount, but a stormy meeting in Abuja that went late into the
night on Friday sealed his fate.
It is the second time Amodu has been removed from his post
heading into a World Cup finals tournament.
"The decision was taken during the board meeting," said
Nigeria Football Federation media officer Idah Peterside.
"The technical committee of the federation has been
mandated to have a new man in place by the end of the month."
Dutchman Guus Hiddink is among those on a shortlist of
preferred candidates to replace Amodu.
Others in the frame are former England caretaker manager
Peter Taylor, Bruno Metsu, who coached Senegal to the 2002
World Cup quarter-finals, and Ratomir Dujkovic, Ghana's coach
at the last World Cup in Germany.
Amodu was also fired ahead of the 2002 World Cup finals
after Nigeria again finished third at the African Nations Cup.
Nigeria reached the semi-finals at this year's tournament
but lost to an under-strength Ghana. The Super Eagles were also
beaten by Egypt in their opening group game and needed
penalties to overcome Zambia in the quarter-finals.
Amodu will take charge of Nigeria's home-based players for
the African Nations Champions tournament, a tournament recently
introduced for players who play their club football on the
continent, Peterside said.
"He will be in charge of talent identification and finding
players for the future."
Nigeria have drawn Argentina, Greece and South Korea in
their World Cup group and play their first match of the
tournament in South Africa against the Argentines in
Johannesburg on June 12.