​'They know their jobs and how to perfectly deliver' - Okobi backs Nigerian coaches for Super Falcons post

Eskilstuna United midfielder Ngozi Okobi has thrown her weight behind Nigerian coaches to get the nod in the race for the vacant senior women's national team coaching role.

The Super Falcons have had no substantive coach since Thomas Dennerby quit the post despite a 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations triumph and a 2019 Women's World Cup Round of 16 berth.

Since his exit last September, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has begun the search to fill the void, with its president Amaju Pinnick vowing to appoint a world-class coach for the team.

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Earlier, Shanghai winger Francisca Ordega had declared her preference for a foreign coach, if such a person is better versed on about the international scene and understanding of the women's game.

Okobi differed in her opinion, noting that the domestic handlers knew their jobs and how to deliver good results, given the right support by the NFF.

"In my opinion, they [foriegn or local coaches] are all the same with a slight difference," Okobi told SavidNews.com.

"If the Federation can give as much encouragement given to foreign coaches to the local one I am certain they will deliver. I won't ignore the fact that foreign coaches are more exposed.

"However, the Federation has to give the same support and encouragement to the home base coaches.

"We have good coaches with the right qualifications and experience in this country but the problem is that the home-based coaches easily ride on.

"They know their jobs and how to perfectly deliver their obligations but they are just scared and trying to please some people at the top.

"The ones telling them [home-based coach] what to do, who to play, who to select, with the 'I gave you the job' attitude. These are some of the things they can't try with a foreign coach.

"Give home-based coaches freehand and the opportunity to work. If they failed, you can then think of bringing in a foreign coach.

"If you can't control the foreign coach, then don't force things on the home-based coach, give them maximum support and encouragement.

"I will be blunt, I am for the home-based coach. I heard about Isimala Mabo and what he achieved with the Super Falcons in the 1990s. I believe we can still get another Mabo in the country."

Nigerian coaches accounted for eight of Nigeria's nine African Women's Cup of Nations titles, with Ismaila Mabo leading the nation to a first-ever Women's World Cup quarter-final finish in 1998.