Le Guen on pole position for Super Eagles job

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may have concluded plans to appoint Frenchman Paul Le Guen as new Super Eagles coach.
Upper Friday, the Technical and Development Committee (TDC) pored over more than 20 applications before shortlisting three candidates for the plum job.
TDC Chairman, Chris Green, confirmed that “we set a criteria with which we evaluated the nearly two dozen applications and then agreed on the three persons that we shortlisted.
“The committee will meet on Monday, July 18 to interview the shortlisted candidates and immediately name the next Super Eagles’ head coach.”
Among those interested in coaching the three-time African champions are Giovanni Solinas, Tom Saintfiet, Hey Antoine, Mark Wotte, Yusuf, Ernesto Paulo Calvinho, Dorian Marin, Le Guen, Miodrag Jesic, Perry Hansen, Ove Pedersen, Adebayo Lateef Kola, Sylvanus Okpala, Peter Ijeh, Vladimir Petrovic-Pizon, Lodewijk de Kruif, Kenichi Yatsuhashi, Bjorn Frank Peters, and Ricki Herbert.
A source at the Glass House told TheNiche that the interview is a mere formality as the officials have concluded to appoint Le Guen.
“He appears the most experienced. He will be more relevant especially in dealing with Cameroun, one of the trio teams Nigeria will be facing at the World Cup qualifiers,” the source said.
“His knowledge of Cameroon partly makes his employment relevant apart from his having handled major European sides like Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Stade Rennais, and Glasgow Rangers.
“He also led Olympique Lyonnais to three consecutive French Ligue 1 titles.
“The interview is just to make it a formality. The deal has been done and sealed but in order to make it look official, the interview will hold on Monday, July 18 in Abuja.”
Nigeria under interim Coach Salisu Yusuf, one of the three shortlisted, beat Mali 1-0 in a friendly in Rouen, France; and three days later defeated Luxembourg 3-1 at the Stade Josy Barthel.
Yusuf, 54, was capped by Nigeria at U-20 level, won FA Cup titles with El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri as a player, and coached top clubs Kano Pillars, El-Kanemi Warriors and Enyimba FC.
He assisted Super Eagles’ Chiefs, Samson Siasia and Stephen Keshi, and was caretaker coach for the two friendlies the Eagles won against Mali and Luxembourg in Europe at the end of May.
Belgian Saintfiet, 43, coached the national teams of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Yemen, Malawi, and Togo, and also worked with the Qatari U-17 side, Young Africans FC of Tanzania, and Free State Stars FC in South Africa.
He was among the crowd that watched Nigeria’s friendly match against Luxembourg and he praised the standard exhibited by the Super Eagles.
Le Guen, 52, played for Brest, Nantes, and PSG; and won 17 caps for France, before coaching Rennes, Lyon, PSG (in France) and Glasgow Rangers (in Scotland).
He qualified the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals and also coached Oman.