The appointment was confirmed by Ademola Olajire, the NFF’s Director of Communications, in a statement released on Friday in Abuja.

Garba, who previously guided the Golden Eaglets to victory at the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2013, will take up his new role immediately.

His 2013 squad boasted notable talents like Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Isaac Success, among others.

Under Garba’s leadership, the Golden Eaglets showcased remarkable performances, culminating in a triumph over Mexico in the final.

Now, Garba is tasked with preparing the team for the upcoming WAFU B U17 Championship in Ghana, scheduled for May.

The president made the pledge while receiving the 10-year Football Development Masterplan presented to him by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare at the state house.

He directed the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to

commence implementation of the two volume report in phases, within the relevant sections of the Nigerian laws on sports development and the statutes of the world soccer governing body, FIFA.

The president further expressed concern over the (stunted) development of football in the past years, owing to the neglect of the core orientation of football administration, urging the NFF to salvage the domestic league at all levels.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has applauded Nigerian student, Noel Ifeanyi Alumona, who won the 2022 AFS Award for Young Global Citizens, and became the first African to win the prize since its inception in 1914.

The award was presented to the Nigerian student during the International Youth Day organized by the United Nations Global Communications Department, the AFS Intercultural Programs and The Youth Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

President Buhari in a statement by his special media aide, Femi Adesina, noted that the responsiveness, kindness and sacrificial spirit of the Nigerian student, who is studying Special Education in Vanderbilt University, United States, and has already established foundations to cater for the needs of physically challenged, vulnerable and less privileged.

The president extoled Alumona for his outstanding character and dedication to helping others, particularly for

attracting global spotlight to Nigeria, in recognition of his vigorous campaign to end violence against women and girls through proper orientation of boys on responsible behaviour.

Buhari affirmed that the student, who is an Obama Foundation Fellow, United States Institute of Peace Fellow, and United Nations Youth Assembly Delegate, is on the right side of history, channelling his energy to encouraging and supporting others, and creating a framework for charity.

The president prayed that the Almighty God will continue to lead, guide and grant Alumona wisdom to serve his country and humanity.

This is just as the tenure of the NFF’s current administration ends in September.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said the directive was given in a by President Muhammadu Buhari, to the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick.

Buhari was also quoted as directing that “the instrument of football administration in the country, the NFF Statutes be amended to include other stakeholders”, who had hitherto been disenfranchised, or denied equal representation in the NFF congress.

Buhari was said to reinforce the “Federal Government’s support for football development in the country”.

He also urged the leadership of the NFF to ensure that the “amended statutes reflect the national yearnings, aspirations and peculiarities of Nigeria as a sovereign nation whilst aligning with the principles and objectives of football as set by the world soccer governing body, FIFA”.

Yusuf was previously banned for collecting bribes as an Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles after he was caught on camera in August 2018 accepting cash from men who posed as football agents to select two players for his Morocco 2018 African Nations Championship squad.

He was subsequently banned for one year and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 by the federation following the NFF Ethics and Fair Play Committee ruling that the coach received $1,000 from the men.

Salisu’s appointment was contained in a statement on Thursday by the NFF’s spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, titled, ‘NFF appoints Salisu, Bosso, Ugbade, Bassey to head male National Teams’.

The NFF also stated that “a new Head Coach for the Super Eagles will be announced and officially unveiled once the processes for his engagement and contract-signing are concluded”.

Yusuf, who was Head Coach of the Super Eagles B when the team emerged runner-up of the African Nations Championship in Morocco in 2018, will work with Kennedy Boboye (Assistant Coach); Fatai Osho (Assistant Coach); Abubakar Bala Mohammed (Assistant Coach); Fidelis Ikechukwu (Assistant Coach); Eboboritse Uwejamomere (Match Analyst) and Ike Shorounmu (Goalkeepers’ Trainer) and Suleiman Shuaibu (Goalkeepers’ Trainer 2).

In other appointments, Ladan Bosso retains his position as Head Coach of the U20 Boys. He will work with former U17 Head Coach, Fatai Amao (Assistant Coach); Oladuni Oyekale (Assistant Coach); Jolomi Atune Alli (Assistant Coach) and; Baruwa Olatunji Abideen (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)

This mandate is one of the decisions the Committee took at its first formal meeting since Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup billed for Qatar.

The meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja and attended both physically and virtually by 14 members asked the Technical and Development Sub-Committee to make the recommendations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this sub-committee “is responsible for the selection of coaches through its recommendations to the Executive Committee”.

Aside the expected recommendations on the Super Eagles coaching crew, the sub-committee is also to recommend new coaching crews for three other national teams within this same period of five days.

These are the CHAN (African Nations Championship) team, also known as the Home-based Super Eagles, the under-20 male team (Flying Eagles) and the under-17 male team (Golden Eaglets).

“This is to ensure that preparations for their next qualifying tournaments and championships commence in earnest,” the NFF stated in the communique.

NAN reports that the Technical and Development Sub-Committee works with members of the NFF Technical Department.

The department is presently headed by the immediate-past Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Augustine Eguavoen, who is the federation’s Technical Director.

The team on their arrival from Abidjan on Thursday morning was delayed due to COVID-19 protocols.

The NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, who disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘NFF says airport incident ‘unfortunate’,’ on Thursday said the situation was beyond the NFF.

Sanusi was quoted as saying, “It was an unfortunate incident because we had our protocol officers on the ground at the airport and they did the needful before the team arrived. We are a responsible organisation and the various National Teams have been going out and returning to Nigeria since these COVID-19 protocols, procedures and guidelines started. We have never been caught napping.

“The issue had to do with COVID-19 protocols and we had no control over how things would be approached by the officials in charge at the airport each time. In this particular case, we fulfilled our part of the requirements. However, some other group of individuals arrived at the same time as the Super Falcons’ contingent and were bent on circumventing the process, and this compelled the health officials to adopt stern measures and even lock up some of their offices.

“It was beyond us, but we have already apologised to our players and officials over this incident.”

Rohr was Nigeria’s longest-serving manager after taking charge in August 2016 but had his contract terminated after leading the Eagles to the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-offs and sealing a spot at the Nations Cup in Cameroon.

The Franco-German also led Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup and guided the team to third-place at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Eguavoen is on the payroll of the NFF and he won’t be entitled to salary for the role he is playing as an interim coach of the team,” President of the NFF Amaju Pinnick stated recently on Arise TV.

“He will be entitled to the winning bonuses as the team progress at the tournament.”

Eguavoen has already won his opening two group games at the tournament which has sealed their place in the Round of 16 in the competition

Musa who spoke at a press conference on Tuesday January 4, noted that they are being owed bonuses from two matches.

Musa assured Nigerians that the bonuses and allowances would not be a big issue ahead of the AFCON tournament.

He said“There is no other outstanding outside these two games. We are going to be having a meeting with the coach and maybe the NFF officials so we can take the next step forward.”

The clash is to take place on June 4 in Wiener Neustadt, south of the Austrian capital.

SEE FULL LIST

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (APOEL Nicosia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands).

Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Paderborn 07, Germany); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente, The Netherlands); Valentine Ozornwafor (Galatasaray FC, Turkey)

Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia Nicosia, Cyprus); Frank Onyeka (FC Midtjylland, Denmark); Abraham Marcus (CD Feirense, Portugal).

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars FC); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Peter Olayinka (Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Anayo Iwuala (Enyimba FC); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Simy Nwankwo (Crotone FC, Italy)

The fixture is to help the squad get prepared for their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign which will begin in September.

He passed away at 76 on Saturday after a brief illness.

Laloko, who founded the Pepsi Football Academy in 1992, was said to have died after a prolonged battle with diabetes.

Some of the players that rose up under the platform of the Academy include Mikel Obi, Osaze Odemwingie, Soga Sambo, Elderson Echejile, Joseph Akpala and Yinka Adedeji.

Laloko will be interred at his Gbonagun residence in Abeokuta at on Monday, March 29,2021.