28 february 2010
The Nigerian Football Federation has named the former Swedish national coach Lars Lagerback to be the new coach of the ‘Super Eagles’ national football team.
Lagerbaeks contract will be for an initial 5 months and he will be expected as a minimum to get Nigeria to a semi-final spot at the World Cup in South Africa this summer.
Lagerbaeck impressed Nigerian football officials with his understanding of their country’s football challenges – Sweden defeated the ‘Super Eagles’ 2-1 at the World Cup in 2002 Korea & Japan.
He is to be assisted at his new post by the Nigerians Austin Eguavoen, Daniel Amokachi and Alloy Agu.
Lagerback resigned –before being pushed -from coaching the Swedish national team last year after almost 12 yrs at that post but also after failing to get Sweden to this latest world cup in South Africa 2010.
Denmark not to win the whole thing…..but they have the best manager in Morten Olsen!!!!
He started with them in 2000 – after 103 matches, 55 wins and 29 losses.
He used to play professional soccer from 1972 – 1989 for various clubs in Belgium, Denmark and Germany. As a player he won the Belgian championship 3 times and the UEFA Cup once. He was the Danish ‘Player of the Year’ in both 1983 and 1986.
He has played 102 times for the Danish National team and was captain during 48 of those games.
He started his managerial career as coach of Brondby,Denmark won the Danish championship in 1990 and 1991.
After coaching stints at FC Koln and Ajax Amsterdam, accepting the offer to become coach of Denmark.
He was able to bring the national team was to qualify for the World Cup finals in 2002 were unbeaten through the qualifying rounds.
He also took Denmark to the European Championship finals in 2004 but since then he had failed to bring Denmark to any major tournament until the present 2010 World Cup.
Olsen likes to play with a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, using two defensive midfielders, two wingers and one midfielder playing just behind the lone striker.
They rely on counter-attack play and wait for the opposition mistakes to lose the ball without taking too many risks up front.
Olsen is a very likable and good coach and it will be interesting to see that how and how far he guides his Danes in South Africa – hopefully past the first round.
