Minister for Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung has denied giving his approval for the recruitment of a foreign coach for the Super Eagles. He made this known while addressing newsmen in Lagos yesterday. The 52 year-old Minister said the Nigeria Football Federation is yet to convince him to see the need to employ a foreign coach for the squad.. 

“I have never given an approval for the recruitment of a foreign coach. I have been approach by the federation for the recruitment of the foreign coach, and I said `convince me as to why a foreign coach is the best’, and they said, `well we have not received a technical report of the match that we played and crashed out’. “So, they will give me that report alongside convincing reason for a foreign coach. 

“Then I said well in doing that also try to answer this question: `why is it not possible to pay Nigerian coaches salaries, but it will be possible for us to recruit a foreign coach and pay’ and they said `somebody has declared interest’. “And I put the second question: `can you also ask that same person why he is he not interested in giving us money to pay Nigeria coaches and see how they will fair than going to recruit foreign coaches’. “So, if I am understood to have endorsed a foreign coach, I think it’s a misconception. “I haven’t endorsed a foreign coach, but I am still demanding a convincing reason I should believe in a foreign coach.’’