How ex-Nigerian footballer Daniel Amokachi got the appointment as Special Assistant on Sports to President Buhari
Amokachi got the appointment on the backing of Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare.
Ex-Nigerian footballer Daniel Amokachi has been appointed as the Special Assistant on Sports to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Amokachi is well-known from his days as a Super Eagles player who represented Nigeria at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and FIFA World Cup. He was also part of the U-23 team that won Africa’s gold medal in the football event of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Having since retired and worked as a coach for several sides including the Super Eagles of Nigeria, the 47-year-old has been playing around in the political circles.
He was first given the largely ceremonial role as Nigeria’s Football Ambassador in February 2020 and has now gotten a bigger position as the Special Assistant to President Buhari.
In a press statement by the Media Officer of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare on Thursday, August 20, it was noted that Amokachi’s letter of appointment was issued on Monday, August 17, 2020, and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
“I am pleased to inform you that Mohammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has approved your appointment as Special Assistant on Sports. The appointment takes effect from the 11th of August, 2020,” part of the letter reads.
The Presidency has also confirmed the appointment.
This appointment comes on the backing of Minister of Youth and Sports Development Dare who allegedly tried to install the former Nigeria international as the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in February.
The NFF were forced to come out to deny reports of that appointment after Amokachi himself took to his social media to announce himself as the Technical Director of the federation.
“While the NFF does not and will not foreclose the possibility of a major role for Amokachi in the federation in the future, the truth is that presently, such an appointment has not been made,” NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire said in a statement.
It was after that fiasco that he was given the largely ceremonial role as Nigeria’s Football Ambassador.
Popularly known as Da Bull, Amokachi had a successful football career that saw him play from Nigeria to Belgium, Turkey, England etc.
He played in the Premier League with Everton where he won the FA Cup title in 1995.
For Nigeria, he played in three World Cup finals, won two AFCON titles as both player and Assistant Coach to Stephen Keshi.
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