Allen Onyema, a passionate football supporter and the chairman and CEO of Air Peace, has threatened legal action against the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership.
This comes as he opposes the hiring of a foreign coach for the Super Eagles and advocates for the appointment of an indigenous manager for the three-time African champions.
The NFF recently advertised the role of Super Eagles coach following the expiration of Portuguese tactician Jose Peseiro’s contract after the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Peseiro led the Nigerian national team to the runner-up spot at the 2023 AFCON and could not reach a contractual agreement with the NFF to extend his contract.
Onyema, a staunch supporter of the Super Eagles, has voiced his displeasure over the preference for a foreign coach over local coaches and threatens legal action against the NFF if they hire a foreign coach for the Super Eagles.
“I do not see the reason why we cannot have a look into the country and get somebody out there that will take on the Super Eagles,” Onyeama said as quoted by City People Online.
“A lot of them succeeded. The truth is that when a foreign coach bows out of the group stage, nobody talks; when a Nigerian coach bows out from Quarterfinals or semi-finals, oh if it had been a foreign coach, we would have won the cup.
“Nobody gives Nigerian coaches a chance. Nigerians should rise against any NFF that goes again to get any idiot as a foreign coach.
“We don’t need a foreign coach; let us grow our own. Let us even save the naira. Let us grow our own and give the Nigerian coach the same incentive you give the foreign coach and see them excel.
“We should go to court to stop NFF from employing foreign coaches; I will join you, I am telling you.
“And I will fund it. We should go to court. We must begin to love this country; that’s all I have to say about this NFF now.”
