Pressure mounts for Nigeria's Amodu

LAGOS (Reuters) -- Nigeria's coach Shaibu Amodu is a veteran of the job having handled the Super Eagles on five separate occasions.

But he needs to ensure success in Mali this month in order to keep his fifth spell as coach alive for a while longer.

The Nigerian-born coach has been told he will be replaced for this summer's World Cup finals by a high profile coach if Nigeria are not successful in the African Nations Cup finals.

Amodu has served as coach or acting coach at various times since 1994, when his first match in charge was against England in a friendly at Wembley.

It was at provincial club side BCC Lions that he first came to prominence, talking them to the Nigerian FA Cup in 1989 and then the African Cup Winners' Cup title a year later.

The team were also Nigerian champions in 1994 before Amodu went off to handle the national team, first on his own and then as assistant to the likes of Jo Bonfrere, Thijs Libregts, Philippe Troussier and Bora Milutinovic.

He also had a brief spell as coach of South Africa's Orlando Pirates and says he wants to return to club soccer at the end of the World Cup finals.

 

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