Former Super Eagles assistant coach Emmanuel Amuneke opens up on the Eagles failure to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, what the team lacked against Ghana and lessons learnt from the painful ouster in this interview with JOHNNY EDWARD
How did you feel after the Eagles’ failure to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar?
I’m still trying to overcome the failure. I’m very sad and very disappointed not to have helped the team achieve its aim of qualifying for the World Cup because that was the dream of the technical crew, to help the Eagles qualify. I want to use this opportunity to apologise to Nigerians for the team’s inability to pick the ticket for Qatar. It’s very painful but I believe we will learn from this and become better as a team. I thank the Nigeria Football Federation and the sports minister for the opportunity to serve my fatherland in that capacity.
What was going through your mind when score was level 1-1 between the Eagles and Ghana in Abuja?
A lot of things were on my mind throughout the game, but this is not the best time to lay blame on anybody. We just did not take advantage of the chances and win the game in the second leg in Abuja. This is the time to learn from the mistakes, accept our fate and move on. The Ghanaians came with a plan to defend compactly and wait for any real chance to attack, which happened with that goal they scored in the 11th minute. We knew they were going to defend but we were confident we were going to outscore them with the talents we had. But with the information we had (about Ghana), we needed some personnel to handle some tasks effectively, which did not happen.
Are you saying the Eagles didn’t have the kind of players needed for the kind of system you wanted to adopt?
The head coach (Austin Eguavoen) was in charge of the team and he decided what system and which players fitted into the system. My job was to provide technical assistance, which I did throughout the games in Accra and Abuja. It’s now left to who is in charge to take it or leave it. We have good players in the team in all departments but the team still needs a good passer of the ball from midfield. A player that can create space from our own half with just a pass from quick movements will be the final piece in the Eagles’ jigsaw.
On a personal note, what have you learnt from the Eagles failure to qualify for the World Cup?
As a leader you have to be firm in decision-making after due consultation. The Eagles backroom set up has to change tactically. We need a sound physical trainer and match reader, good video analyst. We lack all these and that’s the truth. Football these days is all about information. The England team have a crew of over 10 coaches who supply information to the head coach (Gareth Southgate) every game they play. We need to help whoever is in charge in all these aspects, going forward, to ensure he succeeds.
Are you saying Austin Eguavoen didn’t get enough help?
I’m talking about myself, not him (Eguavoen). If I have the opportunity again, I will stand firm on what I believe is best for the team. It’s a collective goal because the results will affect us.
What kind of coach do you think the Eagles need now?
They need a very sound and tactical coach with current information for his team to learn from and be better, one who is open to new ideas and system of play and firm on his decision-making.
What do you think was the major reason for the Eagles’ defeat?
We simply did not exploit the spaces in the Ghanaian defence and take our chances when we had them. We lost most of the second ball, didn’t fight enough and basically were blighted by injuries. Innocent Bonke who did well in the first leg missed the second leg due to injury and Frank Onyeka who also came in for the second leg suffered an injury after half time in Abuja. When the Black Stars switched to a back five, we knew about that, we needed someone to sit in front of the defence as a shield and allow Oghenekaro Etebo and Joe Aribo push up forward to make up the numbers in attack with the wingers. After 10 minutes, the Ghanaians replaced their right-back and introduced another defender to make them six, which made it more difficult. We also switched to a back three, bringing on Sadiq Umar towards the end of the game after Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa had been introduced but there was no urgency in their play.
Many believe the first leg 0-0 draw in Kumasi was where the Eagles lost the tie. Do you share the same view?
We were very solid in Kumasi defensively, but offensively we did not do much, which was the only low point of the game. The Ghanaians played well and had only one real threat at goal which Francis (Uzoho) parried away. We had chances in Abuja but did not take them. We lost most of the second balls in duels and that made it difficult. We also did not show enough bravery. It was unfortunate that he (Uzoho) conceded that goal in Abuja. These experiences will make him stronger going forward.
Did the team miss midfielder Wilfred Ndidi?
Obviously, we did miss Ndidi a lot but those who stepped in did a good job even if we missed the ticket for the World Cup. He would have helped us a lot in the midfield, which was the strength of the Ghanaians.
Reports say you were not aware of the players’ selection for the play-offs. How true is this?
That’s the truth. Initially, I was not informed but later I was briefed about that. But it won’t be right for me to talk about all that happened behind the scene in public because it is a lesson, and like I said, this is not the time to blame anyone for their lapses but to try and see how this experience will make us better.
If you were in charge of the Eagles, what would you have done differently against the Ghanaians?
Not much of a difference, as my job has always been to help my players develop. I would provide my team with the necessary information to make them better players. I would be open to ideas and constructive criticism, and above all discuss with my team always on our strength and that of our opponents.
The Nigeria Football Federation withdrew the two-and-half-year contract offered you and other backroom officials. Do you think the NFF board members should resign as well?
The contract offered me has not been signed by me yet because there were some issues my lawyer raised. They decided to withdraw it, that’s no problem. The board can only decide that themselves if they want to resign or continue.
There’s this general opinion that Nigerian players born abroad don’t know what it takes to play for Nigeria. What’s your take?
This is a very sensitive issue that one should be careful about. These players should not be blamed for representing the Eagles. After all, we lured them to come and play for us. As coaches, it’s our job to integrate them gradually into the system so they don’t suffer a backlash from the fans when they don’t play to that level we know they can perform. Calvin Bassey is a good defender who is very strong just as Ademola Lookman is also a quality winger.
How far do you think Africa’s representatives Ghana, Senegal, Algeria, Cameroon and Morocco can go at the World Cup?
It is unfortunate that Nigeria won’t be there in Qatar. But I believe with good preparations, a bit of luck and attention to detail, teams representing Africa can reach the quarter-finals. Senegal and Cameroon, Tunisia, Morocco and Ghana all have good chances to make the continent proud. We will be rooting for the five of them when the tournament starts. Senegal has a good chance to make history and I hope they arrive at the tournament in good shape.
Going forward, what are your immediate plans as a coach?
At the moment, I’m taking my time now to reflect on the World Cup miss and also consider the options I have as well. I hope I get the chance to lead the team again and show Nigerians that indigenous coaches can offer a lot more.
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