Former international, media officer and television pundit, Peterside Idah has backed Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle amid Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations semifinal defeat to Morocco, saying the coach is likely to take up a lucrative offer from Tunisia.
Speaking after the loss, Idah said the hostile atmosphere facing the Super Eagles in Morocco was expected and should not overshadow the team’s overall progress at the tournament.
“They would have been prepped, they would have been prepared. You know you’re playing away from home, you’ve already seen it, you know, as you’re travelling into the stadium, people will be raising their hands, 5-0, 4-0, psychologically, they will torment you,” he said.
Idah stressed that elite players are trained to block out such distractions.
“But these are professionals and if you know why players always wear earplugs when they are coming down from the buses or entering the dressing room or even coming out to warm up, you always see them with earplugs, you just shut out the noise and play your favourite music, you don’t hear anything. And it just goes to the psyche of saying, I’m here for this, I’m here for this purpose. Again, this team has done well,” he added.
Despite falling short of the final, Idah said the Super Eagles showed enough quality to compete at the highest level globally.
“I looked at them and said, this team should be at the World Cup. If we had won this, I would have begged FIFA, I would have said, please, just manage us at the World Cup, we are good enough to be there. Again, kudos must go to the coach,” he said.
Idah credited Chelle with rebuilding a squad whose confidence had been low before the tournament.
“He took this team when the spirit was so low. You know, he has raised the team and I hear he wants to go to Tunisia and a friend asked me, will he go to Tunisia? I said, yes,” he said.
According to Idah, financial terms and career progression could influence Chelle’s decision.
“He’s a businessman and then they’ve offered him $100,000 per month. And not just that, he will make it and that will be being a coach of the World Cup side. You know, he’s at the highest level of coaching anywhere in the world, that he coached the team to the World Cup,” he said.
Idah concluded that improved welfare and clear ambition would be key factors as Chelle considers his next move following Nigeria’s AFCON exit.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Follow us on:
