Thursday, November 26, 2009              

NFF confirms Obuh's promotion, re-appoints Uche for Falcons
From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja

THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday announced the reappointment of Super Falcon's former player, Eucharia Uche, as coach of the senior women national team, just as it reaffirmed its decision to swim and sink with Super Eagles' coach, Shaibu Amodu.

Speaking to journalists yesterday after the NFF executive board meeting, a member of the board, Shehu Adamu, said the body approved the recommendations of the technical committee to promote all the coaching crew of the silver-winning Eaglets to the U-20 team, while coach Monday Odigie has been appointed coach of the U-17 team.

Adamu revealed that Uche would be assisted by Bala Nikiyu, Gidado Abubakar and Ann Chiejine, while Calabar Rovers' former defender, Edet Egan, would handle the U-20 women team, with Wemino Oni, Christopher Alor and Super Falcons' former captain, Florence Omagbemi, as his assistants.

The NFF chose Peter Dedevbo as coach of the U-17 women team, with Justin Madugu and Babatunde Sikiyu as his assistants. Adamu also revealed that the federation decided to ignore the call by Nigerians for a foreign technical adviser for the Super Eagles, saying the body would stick to Shaibu Amodu.

He disclosed that the board has approved Amodu's programmes, as well as given him the mandate to tinker the team for both the Nations Cup and World Cup next year. He further noted that the board took the decision after appraising the performance of the Amodu-led technical crew in the just concluded Nations Cup/World Cup qualifying series, which Nigeria successfully executed.

"The board commended all the Super Eagles players as well as the technical crew for the honour done to the country with the World Cup ticket and has decided to give approval to the team's programme as presented by the technical committee of the federation," said Adamu, who also confirmed that the Eagles would begin camping in Namibia on December 28.

Meanwhile, a member of the NFF board, Stephen Gbeyon, has disclosed that the board would only look for a technical adviser to work with Amodu if the Eagles failed in January's Africa Nations Cup.