We continue with our series on previous foreign coach's to have handled the national team in time past.
-Johannes Bonfrere (Holland) 1995-1996
The Dutchman came to the country to assist Westerhof but he got his chance to be in charge of a team when in 1991 he was appointed to coach the Super Falcons. His achievement with the women‘s team gave him the opportunity to be in charge of the Olympic football team in 1995 and the following year led the team to win gold at Atlanta‘96 Olympic Games.
He left the country unceremoniously after he was hired to manage Qatar between 1996 and 1997. When Thijs Libregts was fired in 1999, Bonfere was hired to manage the Eagles again and he led them to a second place finish at the 2000 Nations Cup co-hosted by
Nigeria and Ghana.
Nigeria lost to Cameroun via penalty shootout. He left the team to coach the national team of the United Arab Emirate in 2001 while his assistant, Shaibu Amodu, took over the team. Rating: 7/10.
-Philippe Troussier (France) 1997
His success with African clubs earned him the nickname ‘White Witch Doctor‘. He was engaged by Nigeria in 1997 and guided the Super Eagles in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup. He left Nigeria the same year under controversial circumstances, leaving the NFA to begin a search for another foreign coach. He managed three other national teams between 1997 and 2002. Rating: 5/10.
- Bora Milutinovic (Serbia) 1998
The Serbian, popularly referred to as the Miracle Worker, had taken three teams to the World Cup before joining Nigeria in 1998. He later guided China to the Mundial in 2002. The coach was hired simply for his World Cup experience needed to guide the Eagles through France‘98. He hardly made any change to the squad he inherited from Troussier and it was not a surprise that the Eagles failed to go beyond the second round of the competition. Rating: 4/10.
- Thijs Libregts (Holland) 1998-1999
He had managed nine other teams – including the Dutch national team – before taking charge of the Eagles in August 1998. He was dismissed by Olympiakos in 1995 and was jobless until he was hired by Nigeria.
Having been dismissed by Olympiakos, Libregts took charge of the Eagles in August 1998 after a disappointing World Cup campaign by Milutinovic. He was relieved of his job after winning just two games in five matches in the build-up to the 2000 Nations Cup. Rating: 3/10.
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