Dutch football coach emerges as favourite for Super Eagles vacancy: report

• The Super Eagles are on the cusp of welcoming a new coach following the departure of Jose Peseiro
• Swirling reports hint at the fact the NFF are looking to conclude the recruitment process this week
• A recent report detailing that a Dutch Football coach is currently favourite for the job has emerged

The coaching saga surrounding the Super Eagles is a topic in football that keeps unfolding with intriguing complexities.

Following the departure of former coach, Jose Peseiro, after his contract expired in February, the Super Eagles have been without a permanent manager.

However, just when fans and stakeholders of the team had begun to anticipate that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had identified a potential candidate for the vacancy, a new report has surfaced, suggesting that a Dutch manager is now the frontrunner for the role of coaching the national team.

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Dutch manager favourite for Super Eagles job

A recent report from OwnGoalNigeria indicates that the NFF are poised to begin screening a group of applicants this week.

However, while the names that have frequently made waves in Nigerian football circles are included amongst the candidates to be screened, there appears to be a new addition set to join the list of candidates to be vetted by the Football Federation — Danny Buijs.

The report emphasises that Fortuna Sittard’s manager has emerged as the leading candidate for the position of Super Eagles coach. The 41-year-old, who had not been previously linked to the vacancy, is now reportedly favoured by many key stakeholders within the NFF technical committee.

Additionally, the report notes that the manager’s age and apparent willingness to accept the reported $50,000 monthly salary offered by the Football Federation have significantly contributed to his status as the frontrunner.

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Nonetheless, amid this growing report, the seemingly surprise pick of the Dutch manager appears to come with a lot of worries as the 41-year-old has been largely underwhelming since his burst into the coaching of senior national teams.

According to data courtesy of Fotmob, his best win percentage in senior football was during his time at former Eredivisie side, Groningen, where he recorded a 37% win ratio between June 2018 and May 2023.

Coach Buijs’ current win percentage at Fortuna Sittard stands at 36%, having recorded 12 wins, eight draws, and 13 losses in the games managed at the Eredivisie club this season.

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Sports Brief in another report stated a stakeholder of Nigerian football has explained the reason for the delay in announcing the next coach of the Super Eagles.

The Nigeria national team have been without a permanent coach since the end of February.