(Photos) NFF Makes EMBARRASSING U-Turn On Le Guen Appointment!

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has, in a rather shocking move, denied ever appointing Frenchman, Paul Le Guen as coach of the Super Eagles!

Despite posting Le Guen’s appointment in categorical statements on its official website and official Twitter handle on Monday night that the Frenchman was new Eagles’ technical adviser and Yusuf Salisu is chief coach, the NFF board said late on Tuesday that it never said appointed Le Guen.

In the new statement released on Tuesday night, NFF head of Media and Publicity Committee, Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, denied the Frenchman’s rejection of the position, describing it as “simply preposterous”.

Snapshot of NFF’s official website showing contradicting statements on Le Guen’s appointment.

“The press statement was clear, to the effect that all appointments made at the Technical and Development Committee meeting were mere recommendations, which had to be deliberated upon and agreed to by the Board. No sub –committee in the NFF, except the judicial bodies, takes decisions. They only make recommendations.

“In truth, the Technical and Development Committee perused the profiles of all the coaches who submitted applications and find Mr. Paul Le Guen suitable for the post. But during final negoatiations, he objected to being given a target and also did not wish to live in Nigeria, which was a sore point with the Board.”

“The job of Head Coach of Nigeria is a very big one and there is no way anyone will get such a job without being handed a target. There is absolutely no issue with Le Guen saying he is not coming; several highly –qualified persons would be happy to be named Manager of the Senior National Team of Nigeria. We have a plan to take care of that eventuality,” Yahaya-Kwande said.

Snapshot of NFF’s official Twitter handle showing the Federation’s tweet of Le Guen’s appointment on Monday night.

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Interestingly, the NFF’s earlier statement is totally at variant with this new stand. In fact a segment of the statement on Le Guen’s appointment read: “New Eagles’ boss Le Guen steered the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals. He played for Brest, Nantes and Paris Saint Germain and won 17 caps for France, before coaching Rennes, Lyon, PSG (in France) and Glasgow Rangers (in Scotland). He also coached Oman.”

Earlier on Tuesday, NFF president, Amaju Pinnick had said the two sides were still discussing terms but Greennews.ng gathered that the Frenchman never even came to Nigeria on Monday for the interview with the NFF technical committee.

While the NFF did state that ‘the appointments are subject to agreement of contract terms with the NFF Executive Committee’, it was not clear why the Frenchman was announced officially by the NFF when his appointment was yet to be ratified by the NFF board.