Nigerian coaches to benefit from Birmingham scheme

Former Super Eagles’ coach, Samson Siasia

Five Nigerian coaches will be sent to the United Kingdom for the English FA Level 2 coaching certificate course in 2014 courtesy of the National Coaching Talent Hunt, an initiative of Ash Global Resources and MPH Communications, and the Birmingham County Football Development Scheme.

Former Nigerian stars and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winners, Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia and Mutiu Adepoju have been selected as judges of the talent hunt, which is for coaches between age 17 and 40.

Organisers of the talent hunt disclosed that there would be auditioning in four cities namely Lagos, Benin, Port Harcourt and Abuja, where the best six coaches from each zone would be selected for the final auditioning in Lagos, which would have coaches from Birmingham joining the Nigerian judges to select the eventual five winners.

Registration for the event, which would turn a reality show in the next edition, began on Tuesday while the auditioning is scheduled for February and March next year. Officials from Birmingham will be in Lagos in April for the final process, with winners having the privilege of watching the 2014 World Cup and four Premier League games live in England.

CEO Ash Global Resources, Abiodun Ogidan, said the involvement of ex-Nigerian stars as judges added credibility to the event.

“We purposely left out government bureaucracy because that will draw us back. We are private sector driven, we are transparent and that is why we approached people with credibility like Adepoju, Siasia and Eguavoen. It will also be an opportunity for the coaches to identify with these our heroes, which will drive them to success,” Ogidan said.