‘Jay-Jay Okocha was begging me’ - Ex-Al Ahly coach reveals he was begged to take Super Eagles job
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Ex-Al Ahly coach reveals he was begged to take Super Eagles job || Imago

‘Jay-Jay Okocha was begging me’ - Ex-Al Ahly coach reveals he was begged to take Super Eagles job

Stephen Oladehinde 12:17 - 15.06.2024

Former Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane has revealed that Nigerian legend Jay Jay Okocha and the Nigeria Football Federation begged him to take the Super Eagles' coaching job.

Since Jose Peseiro left, the Super Eagles' coaching position has been a hot issue before the appointment of Finidi George.

Before the appointment of Finidi George, the NFF made several approaches to top head coaches, including Al Ahly’s former coach.

Former Al Ahly coach on rejecting Super Eagles job

Mosimane has claimed that he held talks with the NFF for the Super Eagles coaching job, but he refused the offer.

In light of the revelation made by former Al Ahly coach Mosimane, he was called by an NFF representative and Jay-Jay Okocha, a former Nigerian international.

Former Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane || Imago
Former Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane || Imago

According to SNAWA, Mosimane said, “The calls were coming from Nigeria, the talks were there. Jay-Jay Okocha was leading this thing, he was begging me. 

“But you know South Africa and Nigeria were in the same group. It’s not too nice, it's unpatriotic because I want to see my team in the World Cup.

“But also, work is work. You can never deny a chance to coach Chukwueze, Osimhen, those players are unbelievable, those guys are top talents in the world.

“In my opinion, Nigeria struggle with the system or shape of how to play. The problem is when you have too many good football players. It's nearly the same as Brazil, where you have too much talent and the coach doesn’t even know who to play and where to play. 

Nigerian legend Jay Jay Okocha || X
Nigerian legend Jay Jay Okocha || X

“The coach is impatient when the game is not looking good, and you make changes when you have somebody else on the bench. There’s no patience.

“I didn’t consider the Nigeria job because of my emotional attachment to South Africa. Nigeria never put a deal on the table, it was just talks, they only called me from the Federation.

“In football, a contract must be on the table and signed. If that is not really happening, then there’s no deal.”

Meanwhile, with the recent disappointment in the last two World Cup qualifiers, the NFF are considering bringing in a technical director to displace Finidi.

Antonio Conceicao, former Cameroon head coach, has been strongly linked with the position of technical director.

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