OKON MUST IMPRESS

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has declared that a foreign coach could be appointed to lead the Super Falcons if caretaker coach, Edwin Okon does not impress.
Okon was appointed to temporarily take the reins following the exit of former coach, Kadiri Ikhana, who led the Falcons to a disappointing fourth place finish at the 2012 African Women’s Championships (AWC) in Equatorial Guinea.
NFF president, Aminu Maigari has now exclusively told supersport.com that the federation may have to cast its nets in foreign shores for a substantive coach if Okon fails to live up to expectations.
“As a federation, our most important objective is the development of Nigerian football at all levels. We have confidence in Okon which informed our decision to appoint him in the first place,” Maigari told supersport.com on Wednesday.
The NFF supremo added that the coach would be “given every iota of support” as he attempts to return Nigeria to the summit of women’s football on the continent.
“We will give the coach and his assistants every iota of support to help them succeed. The federation has lined up two friendly games against the best team in the world (Japan) to buttress our intentions.
“If the coach however fails to meet up to the standards we expect, we may have to appoint a sound foreign coach and have (Okon) and his technical crew work as assistants under the coach to help them improve on their knowledge of the game.
“Ultimately, we strive to make Nigerian football the best not just on the continent but the best in the world and we will do all that is necessary to see that our football remains at the top,” he said.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons are currently in Japan for a two-legged friendly against world champions, Japan.
Goals from Yuki Ogimi and Nahomi Kawasumi condemned the former African champions to a 2-0 defeat at the Nagasaki Athletic Stadium on Sunday.
The Falcons will have a chance to exact revenge on the Nadeshiko when both nations clash in the second game on Thursday in Chiba.