The chief coach of the Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf, who was caught on
camera collecting bribe in a sting operation, has completed his
one-year ban, the Nigeria Football Federation has announced.
The 56-year-old manager who led the Nigeria home-based team to the
WAFU Cup of Nations in Ghana was filmed by Anas’ Tiger Eye PI agency
in September 2017 collecting cash from undercover journalists, who
posed as agents seeking to influence players’ selection at the
tournament.
The former Kano Pillars handler was also promised 15 per cent from the
players’ contracts should they get snapped up, with the gaffer in turn
promising the agents spots for both players at the 2018 African
Nations Championship in Morocco.
Yusuf was meant to be in full charge of the Nigeria U-23 team but with
his ban recommended by the NFF Committee on Ethics and Fair Play,
Coach Imama Amapakabo stepped in to handle the team.
A press statement on Thursday signed by the NFF Head of Communications
Ademola Olajire, thanked Amapakabo for stepping in and helping in
securing qualification for the U23 AFCON tournament in Egypt.
โThe Nigeria Football Federation has noted that the Chief Coach of the
Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf has now fully served the one โyear
suspension slammed on him last year.
โThe Federation thanked Coach Imama Amapakabo for his sterling efforts
while in charge of the U23 National Team in the absence of the
suspended Yusuf, and for eventually seeing to the team’s qualification
for the U23 AFCON,โ the NFF said in its statement.While many may
criticise the recall, some see as a subtle recall of coach Yusuf falls
short of popular opinion, the NFF President Amaju Pinnick may have
long given the hint that this action could be taken in an interview
with the BBC months back.
