As we know coaches are an important and integral part of a football team. They are the ones that dish out the techniques, technical instructions, and style of a team, and the work of each player on the pitch is to duly implement the pattern of the gaffer.
This is why most times the coach is held accountable whether a team loses. Well, Nigeria has been able to produce some of the brilliant coaches along the lines who have won trophies for the country or the football club in the Nigerian professional league.
A number of the coaches are from the southeast part of the country and in this post, we will be x-raying some of them.
Emmanuel Amuneke
Emmanuel Amuneke was born on 25 December 1970 in Eziobodo Imo State Nigeria. He is a former Super Eagles coach and a professional footballer who ply his trade as a winger during his playing time.
After his retirement from playing football at the end of 2004, Emmanuel relocate to Cantabria in 2006 where he started taking his coaching courses and at the same time was coaching youth teams at SD Reocín.
In August 2008, he took charge of the local Nigerian club Julius Berger FC after a brief spell in Saudi club Al Hazm as the assistant coach. After his coaching courses, he took charge of Ocean Boys in November 2009.
In 2015, Amunike built a new reputation for himself when he guide the Nigeria national U17 football team to win the World Cup held in Chile. He guide the Super Eagles through qualification for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, but he resigned from training the team after a few setbacks.
Michael Kelvin Emenalo
Michael Emenalo born 14 July 1965 in Aba Abia State, is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a left-back. Upon his retirement from professional football, Emenalo became director of player development at the Tucson Soccer Academy in the US in 2006.
In 2007 Michael Kelvin came to the limelight when he joined Chelsea under the then manager Avram Grant and was promoted to the level of assistant coach in 2010 following the departure of Ray Wilkins, later was appointed as the technical director of the team which he occupied from 2011 to 2017 when he resigned the position.
Fidelis Ilechukwu
Fidelis Ikechukwu fondly known as the Working one is not new in the Nigerian professional league and is one of the fast-rising young coaches in the league. Fidelis started his coaching career at the Olukoya boys in 2006 upon the formation of the club. With his tactical brilliance, he led the MFM (Mountain of Fire Ministry FC) to promotion to NPL during the 2015 season.
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During the 2016/2017 season of the Nigerian professional league, MFM under Fidelis pushed the eventual winner Plateau United to the line with an inexperienced squad and come out second that year but the later seasons wasn’t a thing of smooth sailing for the team and he left before the 2019/2020 season.
Nwosu Felix
Another young man changing the tide in the Nigerian professional league is Nwosu Felix from Anambra State and is 29 years, yes correct we know that is the prime age of a footballer but due to some knee injuries, Felix wasn’t able to continue his professional career. But the injuries didn’t prevent him from drafting into the coaching crew of Talanta.
In 2016, he was a manager of the Somali premier league side Heegan club and guide the team to the third position in the league. Felix holds a coaching license from CAF, KNVB in the Netherlands, and Tikitaka Sweden and was recently listed among the 25 best young coaches in Africa.
With him being eager to learn and keen on his philosophy that sees his team playing attacking football. Was nicknamed “Guardiola of Somalia” during his time in Somalia. Felix has been a man on a mission considering his age we expect to see him at a greater height in the near future.
Christian Chukwu
While he is no longer active, we just couldn’t fight off the temptation of including him.
Christian Chukwu, known as the Chairman, was born 4 January 1951 is once a Nigerian football former player and former national team coach. As a defender in his playing days, he captained the Nigeria national team to its first win in the African Nations Cup in 1980.
Chukwu started his coaching career in Lebanon in the mid-1990s, in 2003 he was made the national team coach and guide the Super Eagles to the semifinals at the 2004 African Cup of Nations but was suspended from his job during the 2006 qualification matches.
In 2008/2009, Chukwu lead the Enugu Rangers to 6th place in the Nigerian Premier League, and at the end of the season, he was relieved of his duty.
He once coached the ASESA warriors of Enugu guiding them from Division 3 to the first division, between 1989 and 1995, Christian worked as an assistant coach under Clemens Westerhofas, during that period the Super Eagles qualified for their first maiden world cup and won their second African Cup of Nations.
Apart from the national team Christian Chukwu has been to coach the Lebanese first division team SAFA FC and the Kenyan national team.
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Written by Gabriel Eresiobi
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