AFCON 2017: Amuneke says Africa has failed to develop own coaches

by Staff Reporter

Saturday Jan 28, 2017. 14:03

DR Congo and Senegal will be the only AFCON 2017 quarterfinalists led by a local coaches and Nigerian coach Emmanuel Amuneke said it is because African countries have failed to develop and encourage their own coaches.

The six other quarterfinalists at Gabon 2017 are headed by foreign coaches – Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Cameroon.

Former African footballer of the year Amuneke is presently in Qatar working as a television pundit on the AFCON in Gabon.

He has charged African countries to try and look inwards for coaches to guide their national teams.

"It's not about who the coaches are, their colour of skin or what. It does not matter where the coach comes from. He won't take the glory of his team's success to his native country,” said the former FC Barcelona winger.

"But then, have we made any conscious effort to develop our own coaches?

"Do we repose confidence in our own coaches? Have we tried to support them as should be expected?

"(In Nigeria) We have the National Institute for Sports (NIS), where coaches are supposed to be trained, but what is the present condition of the institute?

"We know of a fact that we have sound, knowledgeable people like Adegboye Onigbinde, Kashimawo Laloko and James Peters.  These are institutions of the game on their own merits, but are we making the best use of them?”

By Sab Osuji