Media reports that Emmanuel Amuneke is being lined up to take over from Gernot Rohr as Super Eagles manager are “not true” a highly-placed source in the Nigeria Football Federation has told busybuddiesng.com.
Former African Player of the Year Amuneke is enjoying prominent media coverage just as intense speculation swirl about Rohr’s future.
Rohr’s contract is set to expire in less than three months although the NFF confirmed the 66-year-old will be sent an initial extension offer “within the next one week to ten days”.
That revelation has done little to dispel frenzied speculation about Rohr’s future especially with the revelation that the former Gabon manager’s continued stay will be dependent on him agreeing to three new non-negotiable terms.
Rohr who currently earns a tax-free $55,000 monthly salary must agree to reside in Nigeria, earn in naira and “nurture” domestic players per the new contract terms.
Several media reports have painted the new contract terms as an elaborate ruse orchestrated by the NFF to force Rohr out with former Tanzania coach Amuneke who has expressed an ambition to one day lead the national team with whom he won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994.waiting in the wings to take over.
This has been rejected as “not true” by a highly-placed figure in the NFF with direct knowledge of contract negotiations with and potential replacements for Rohr.
Rohr himself has indicated a willingness to continue with the Super Eagles with his only stipulation being that he is afforded a free hand to run the team.
The former Bordeaux manager was appointed as Super Eagles manager in 2016 and led the team to a group place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and third-place at the 2019 Nations Cup in Egypt.
Amuneke’s coaching career has seen him take charge of Nigeria’s youth teams, Sudanese club SC Khartoum and Egyptian Premier League club Misr El-Makasa where he is currently the director of the club’s academies after spending just three games in charge of the first team.
He’d previously been in charge of Tanzania’s Taifa Stars who he led to the group stage of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt before leaving by mutual consent after they failed to make the knockout stage.
He was the assistant coach when Nigeria won the Fifa U-17 World Cup trophy for a record fourth time in the United Arab Emirates in 2013.
Two years later, he led the Golden Eaglets to a fifth U-17 World Cup title in Chile and, revered as a proven youth manager, he was swiftly promoted to coach the U-20 side the Flying Eagles.
As a player, he was a key part of the Super Eagles team, scoring both goals at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia where Nigeria beat Zambia 2-1 to secure their second African title.
He also played for the Super Eagles at the 1994 World Cup – scoring memorable goals against Bulgaria and Italy.
Two years after that triumph in Tunisia, he scored the winner again as Nigeria stunned Argentina 3-2 in the 1996 Olympic football final in Atlanta to become the first African football nation to win Olympic gold.
