AfricanFootball.com can again exclusively report that former Dutch super star, Ruud Gullit has rejected a chance to coach Nigeria because of the Ebola disease and fears he could be kidnapped in the country.
Several top sources have confirmed this to AfricanFootball.com since we first broke the news that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have mandated a contact in Holland to sound out the former Chelsea coach.
Nigeria plan to hire a....
foreign coach immediately after the country’s two 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa next month, which will be handled by caretaker coach Shuaibu Amodu after Stephen Keshi was not given a new contract.
But one of Gullit’s representatives told AfricanFootball.com that he will not be interested in taking up the job because it is “high risk”, while listing out the outbreak of Ebola and security fears in Nigeria particularly as the country is gearing up to conduct a general election next year.
“Gullit is not interested in coaching Nigeria,” the source informed AfricanFootball.com soon after he had spoken to the ex-Dutch skipper’s agent.
“His agent told me the job is high risk. She spoke about Ebola and fears about terrorism in Nigeria and she said for those reasons, her client will not be keen.”
Yet another source confirmed these same fears and added that most top Dutch coaches who may now be approached may equally opt out because of the same reasons.
“The fear of Ebola in Nigeria is still very real even though the Nigerian government has announced it has successfully tackled the disease there,” this source disclosed.
“But the truth is that the World Health Organisation (WHO) is yet to certify Nigeria free of the disease.
“Also, Gullit is a top personality and he told the person who spoke directly to him today (Monday) that he fears he may be kidnapped in Nigeria.”
The source further added: “What is clear is that these fears may not be only limited to Gullit. Most other top Dutch coaches will also stay away should they be approached for the job.”
Nigeria’s most successful periods at full international levels where supervised by Dutch coaches Clemens Westerhof and Jo Bonfrere.
Westerhof led Nigeria to win a second Africa Cup of Nations in 1994 and qualified the country to the World Cup for the very first time that same year.
His long-time assistant, Bonfrere then lead the country to win the historic Olympic gold in 1996 in Atlanta, United State of America.
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