Unceasing bribery alegations against coaches not good for Nigeria’s image – Izilien

Nigeria Head Coach Ladan Bosso shouts instructions during the Flying Eagles’ FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023 Group D match against Dominican Republic at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas. (Photo: FIFA}

Former Super Falcons Coach, Godwin Izilien, is worried by the ‘unceasing’ bribery allegations against Nigerian coaches, saying it is damaging the country’s image.

Speaking on the recent allegations that coaches Ladan Bosso of the U-20 national team, Nduka Ugbade of the U-17 team and Salisu Yusuf of home-based Eagles demanded gratification to include some players in their teams, he advised stakeholders to stop spreading such allegations, saying it is capable of damaging Nigeria’s reputation as a football playing country.

Izilien argued that it is impossible for a coach seeking for honour and respect in his career to demand for gratifications to pick bad players for international assignment.

Rather than peddling such allegations, Izilien advised football stakeholders to focus more on stopping agents from getting close to coaches to entice them with money and other inducements.

“The whole world is reading and watching us as we denigrate Nigerian football development. No coach, who knows his job, would pick players not good enough in his team over better ones because of money. That means such coach does not respect his career.

“I think some agents and players that were ignored when these teams were preparing for their various championships are the ones spreading these false allegations. Please, this should stop to avoid spoiling Nigeria’s image in world football,” he said.

Coach Bosso, who led the Flying Eagles to the just-concluded FIFA U-20 World Cup hosted by Argentina, recently denied the allegation that he demanded money from