By Tony Ubani

NIGERIA Football Federation Technical Director, Tom Saintfiet, would work with Nigerian technical assistants, and this is authoritative.

The Belgian sent an email to Sports Vanguard Tuesday to debunk stories making the rounds that he was coming to work with foreign assistants..

“ I never made any demands from the NFF over who will be my assistants.

Let me also quickly state that my job as Technical Director does not need foreign assistants. My role is developmental. I want to make contribution to the growth and development of our coaches in Nigeria.

I want to reach out to the grassroots and develop the local talent that the country has. I want to open the path to new horizons of training and development for our coaches and players.

This role needs local people; people who know the Nigerian territory and who will hold my hands and show me the local land. I do not need assistants from Europe to do that”, Sainfiet wrote in the email.

The Belgian said that he was keen to work in Nigeria because of the passion he has for African football. “I believe that Africa can produce world champions and I want to unearth those world champions. And I believe that Nigeria should be in the top ten of world football, given the talent that the country has.

Tom Saintfiet

This is why I aspired to come to Nigeria. And I am looking forward to the challenge, when finally, I arrive in Abuja to start work, hopefully very soon”, his mail read.