As football lovers and Nigerians in general mourn the demise of Amodu, one of the country’s most successful coaches, we look at 15 things you probably may not have known about him:
1. He has coached the Super Eagles more times than any other coach, having led the national team five times. His first appointment was Super Eagles Coach in 2001 and guided the team to secure qualification for the 2002 World Cup only to be sacked months to the tournament.
2. As Super Eagles coach, he led the national team to secure World Cup qualification twice but was fired before the tournament on both occasions. After being denied the opportunity to lead the team to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Amodu suffered the same fate in 2010 ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.
3. He helped break the jinx of northern football clubs’ inability to win the FA Cup in 1989 when he led the BCC Lions (of Gboko) to win the trophy.
4. Shaibu Amodu was born in April 1958.
5. He started his football career as a striker and played for Dumez and Niger Tornadoes.
6. His playing career ended after he broke his leg.
7. Apart from BBC Lions and the Super Eagles, Amodu managed such as BCC Lions, El-Kanemi Warriors, and Shooting Stars.
8. His coaching career extended beyond Nigeria as he also managed Orlando Pirates in South Africa.
9. He was first appointed as the Super Eagles coach in April 2001.
10. He was re-appointed manager a second time in April 2008.
11. Amodu was fired twice by the NFF in February of a World Cup year. His first appointment in 2001 was terminated in February 2002 he helped the team qualify for the World Cup. His second appointment was also terminated in February 2010 again after he helped the team qualify for the World Cup.
12. In May 2013, he was appointed technical director of Nigeria’s national teams.
13. He was re-appointed Nigeria manager in October 2014, replacing Stephen Keshi.
14. It was his fifth spell in charge of the country’s national team after which the Keshi returned to the role two weeks later. Amodu took over temporarily as the manager of the Eagles again after the late Keshi was fired in July 2015. He was replace by Sunday Oliseh on a permanent basis later that month.
15. His death comes three days after that of Keshi and he would be buried today according to Islamic rites.
Punch
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