By Tony Ubani
WITH Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, set to announce Samson Siasia’s successor this week, ex-international Chike Arisa has warned the football house to be careful with ex-internationals angling to take up national teams coaching jobs.

Arisa who is based in the Netherlands is livid that ex-internationals now see coaching of the national team as their birthright, their background in coaching notwithstanding.

He fumed that people who have little or no coaching experience are jostling to coach the Super Eagles simply because they once played for the national team.

“We must make it known to them that the credentials of coaching the Super Eagles do not include having played for the national team. No. It does not follow that way. Enough is enough. They have had their fair chance and have also bungled it. We must move beyond that”, Arisa said on our hotline.

Apparently having followed the Samson Siasia saga on the internet, Arisa said that he found insulting statements credited to some ex-internationals whom he said flouted the proverb that says ‘’dog does not eat dog”.

“It is only in Nigeria that ex-internationals spoil for action because they once played. That is not reasonable. Anyone who wants to go into coaching should first prove his mettle at the club level before being assigned a massive job of coaching our national team.

Some of us after playing for the nation are acquiring coaching certificates and coaching clubs while others cross their legs looking for the plum job of coaching a national team. It is ridiculous.

That is why our football is not growing because those who administer it fall easily to sentiments and blackmail by these ex-internationals”, a highly angry Arisa said.

Reflecting on the Siasia’s regime, Arisa said that Siasia was better than most of those who are lobbying to take over his job. “Siasia, no doubt, was a good coach but he failed because he had no training on player-coach relationship. He couldn’t manage that.

Thats where he got it wrong and paid the price. If Nigeria truly wants to rebuild, they should look for a foreign coach who is ready to work.

There are very good foreign coaches but the problem is that our officials corrupt them with bogus salary only to go back to get their own share. It’s sad to see the Eagles and indeed football fall so badly in a country that is as blessed as Brazil with talents. Definitely, ex-internationals would not lead us to the promised land”, Arisa emphasised.