Finidi George currently mentains the record for serving the shortest time as head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Sunday Oliseh also comes to mind as one of the coaches with the shortest stints. Both have something in common; they were excellent national team players who were at their best during their playing days.
Apart from this, during their times as head coaches, both of them had bitter disagreements with key players.
The mismanagement of a disagreement between Oliseh and Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria's all-time best goalkeeper, arguably yet to have an equal) forced Enyeama to retire from national team football just before the commencement of the FIFA world cup 2018.
The disagreement revolved around disciplinary issues. According to account, Enyeama lost a close relation about the time the national team was preparing for national assignment. He then sought for exclusion from the team's business to enable him be in the mood of the incident.
According to account, Oliseh viewed this as disrespect and indiscipline. Long and short, Enyeama never again kept in goal for Nigeria till his retirement.
Football enthusiasts may recall that, at the time, Enyeama could not (arguably) be mentioned outside the top five world best goalkeepers.
Osimhen and Finidi's issue is very similar to the explanation above. Osimhen sought exemption from national team action to enable him rehabilitate from injuries. I have not gotten and may not get the full story of what went wrong, however Finidi seemed disrespected by Osimhen's attitude.
Osimhen, ranking amongst top world best has not left the national team, but he sounded not minding, if he would have to. As he said in his verbal outburst; "...no be Baba Andrew get Super Eagles...", an indication that the national team is not his father's, so he must not remain part of it.
The Problem: Man Management
I read somewhere; Ngolo Kante, the very important French national team player attended training 40 minutes late. He was aware of the consequences of such attitude. On arrival at the training ground, the coach asked him why he was late to training, he gave excuse that, he had missed the earlier train ride which would have been on time.
Didier Deschamp, the French coach turned it to a joke and said; "Ngolo, why didn't you run to the training ground, because your speed and stamina can surpass a train's".
The entire camp busted into laughter and there was no grudge.
One of the challenges I have viewed in our local coaches (and even organisational management) is difficulty in man management.
It is even more so with managing successful and big-star players. This problem is weaved into ego and a drive by ex players-turned-coaches to prove self worth.
The feeling by the superior that: (you can imagine) "who are you? you are nothing before me, moreover, I was thesame thing you are, so I see you not as high as you are made to see yourself". There may be other issues of inferiority complex as well.
But, what should be the way to handle such issues, especially that, one; footballers, especially super stars, are mostly stubborn and difficult to handle? However, their exemption from a team most times visibly creates an exploitable vacuum.
If you find out what it takes team managers to keep a player like El Haji Diof (you remember him right?), Mario Baloteli, Ajen Robben - named by sports journalists as one of the most hot-tempered footballers, then you would appreciate the task of a football coach or manager.
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The recent development between Finidi and Osimhen, and the resignation of the former has drawn comments and divided commentators between "fors" and "againsts".
I have neither deliberately wished to take one of the sides. However, I have expanded an agenda for further critical discussion. One that should be thought-provoking to sports administrators, industry players and analysts.
How can it be ensured that local coaches respect (star) players, and are respected by (star) players. The Irony is that most of the current star players were too little when current (local) coaches were once super stars.
It will continue that, the future stars are now too little to understand who Osimhen is. This disconnect too can create a courtesy gap, especially if Osimhen becomes a superintendent over future stars.
- Tahav, a sports enthusiast, writes from Makurdi
