By Jane Salihu
The media aide to former Nigeria coach Bonfrere Jo, Eze Okechukwu, has raised concerns over the Federal Government’s alleged role in the maltreatment of former senior national team coaches, Clemence Westerhof and Bonfrere Johannes.
The two expatriate coaches jointly built a formidable national team that won the African Nations Cup in Tunisia in 1994, qualified Nigeria for its first-ever FIFA World Cup in the United States the same year, and helped the Super Eagles rise to fifth in the FIFA global ranking.
Bonfrere later led the Nigerian Dream Team to Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games, defeating football powerhouses Brazil, Mexico and Argentina in a remarkable campaign.
Speaking against the backdrop of Nigeria’s recent poor outings in international football, Eze told our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday that the country could not make meaningful progress while its past football heroes were subjected to what he described as maltreatment and inadequate recognition.
He faulted the Federal Government for failing to build on the achievements of the two Dutch coaches, recalling that the administration of former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, through then Vice President Augustus Aikhomu, brought Westerhof to Nigeria in 1989.
According to him, Westerhof subsequently brought Bonfrere as his technical assistant, and within a few years, they led Nigeria to an AFCON silver medal in Algiers in 1990, bronze in Senegal in 1992 and ultimately the continental title in 1994.
“They qualified Nigeria to its first-ever World Cup in USA in 1994, playing with flair and technical discipline. The Super Eagles were rated the fifth-best team in the world afterwards, before Westerhof left the stage for Bonfrere Jo, who went on to win the Olympic gold medal for the Dream Team in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, two years later,” Eze said.
He questioned why the Federal Government rewarded the two coaches with houses in Gwagwalada, rather than in what he described as high-brow areas of Abuja.
Eze also raised concerns over the alleged failure of the Lagos State Government to honour a promise of a plot of land to Bonfrere following the Dream Team’s 1996 Olympic triumph.
He said Bonfrere’s lawyer petitioned the Senate on November 6, 2025, over the matter, but expressed disappointment that the petition had yet to receive the attention he expected.
Eze further questioned the commitment of the Federal Government and the National Assembly to the welfare of former Nigerian football heroes, citing the treatment of late football legends including Christian Chukwu, Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini and Coach Onigbinde.
He also expressed concern over the condition of former Super Eagles player Femi Opabunmi, who lost his sight after representing Nigeria at the 1998 World Cup in France.
“Why should a country that treats her heroes that way progress?” he asked.
Eze also criticised what he described as inadequate government attention to sports, arguing that greater investment in football and other sporting activities would help engage Nigerian youths.
On the way forward, he called on the Federal Government to urgently dialogue with Westerhof and Bonfrere and use the forthcoming National Day celebrations as an opportunity to recognise their contributions to Nigerian football.
He also urged the government to consider relocating the houses allocated to the two coaches from Gwagwalada to other parts of Abuja, ensure that Bonfrere receives the property allegedly promised to him by the Lagos State Government, and provide meaningful support for the families of late football legends.
Eze further called for reforms in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), including the involvement of former players with relevant knowledge, experience and international connections in the administration of the game.
“In France 98 World Cup, Nigeria beat Spain 3-2. In 2010, Spain won the World Cup. Did Nigeria qualify? In 2026, Spain won the World Cup again. Did Nigeria qualify? Even the Super Falcons, the once pride of African women’s football, couldn’t qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. What a shame,” he said.
