Some Nigerians fans have called for the head of the U-23 team and Super Eagles B coach, Salisu Yusuf, following the U-23 side’s failure to qualify for the 2023 U-23 AFCON in Morocco between June 24 and July 8
The tournament also serves as qualifiers for the men’s football event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, meaning that Nigeria will be missing out of the event for a second consecutive time.
Salisu’s team missed out on the U-23 AFCON after losing 2-0 to Guinea in the second leg of their last phase of qualifiers. They were held to a goalless draw by the Guineans in the first leg in Abuja last Wednesday.
For the umpteenth time in his spell with the national teams, Salisu is now wanted out of the job after, the bribery scandal that rocked his reign in 2018 among other failures to deliver the ultimate prize in competitions.
He was reappointed to head the U-23 and the Eagles B teams and also deputise Jose Peseiro in the Super Eagles in April 2023, and barely a month in charge, he has failed in two major assignments.
“Salisu Yusuf will finish our national teams if we are not careful. He has always been poor but I wonder how he gets the national team job,” journalist Israel Bankole wrote.
Another journalist, Andrew Randa, who had expressed fears after the scoreless first leg in Abuja, also suggested the coach should voluntarily quit his roles as coach.
“Another failure in the Olympics. NFF will have to take this L and reflect on what could have been. Salisu also needs to walk away. I know the U-23 is the ministry’s team, but Salisu was to prepare the team. No excuses,” Randa wrote.
A concerned fan, Henry Usha, also queried the NFF for handing Salisu the jobs despite his questionable credentials.
“I don’t blame Salisu, I blame those that gave him the job after a series of failures as coach. Seventh-place finish at Enugu Rangers in the league, relegated Kano Pillars, failed at CHAN qualifiers and now, the U-23 AFCON qualifiers. He should go and retire.”
On his perpetual appointments with the NFF, veteran analyst Desmond Ekwueme described the coach as fortunate but unfit to lead any of the national teams.
“Despite his unimpressive performance, he keeps getting appointments and shuttling among the U-23 Eagles, home-based Super Eagles and Super Eagles,” Ekwueme began.