Nigerian Football
Super Eagles’ most successful coach, Westerhof set to open up on his Nigeria adventure 35 years after contract signing
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, ALMERE, NETHERLANDS
This Thursday 15 August holds great significance in Nigeria’s football history. It is on this day 35 years ago that Dutchman, Clemens Westerhof signed a contract to handle the Nigerian lead football product, Super Eagles.
He took the team from just being a medium football power in the continent, he made it the fifth ranked in FIFA ranking as at the time he parted ways with Nigeria.
Thirty years and a month since he left in July 1994, no other coach has been able to take Nigeria to that enviable height.
He was an apostle of grooming home-based player into stardom. There are many of such. From Daniel Amokachi of Ranchers Bees to Finidi George of Calabar Rovers and Uche Okechukwu of Flash Flamingos and Iwuanyanwu Nationale, the list is unending. He assisted in establishing the Kwara Football Academy.
From the domestic scene, most of the players found themselves getting lucrative offers abroad where they flourished and added values to the Super Eagles qualifying for the World Cup for the first time ever, becoming the first Anglophone African team at the World Cup and the first African team to get to the next round as debutants at the World Cup.
Super Eagles under Westerhof also won their first title outside the home shores when they clinched the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia in 1994.
Building a national team with home-grown talents is a task all the successors to Westerhof have failed to do as they depend mainly on sourcing players abroad while neglecting the development of the game in the country.
He took largely home based players to the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations and still played the final match, losing 1-0 to Algeria.
In doing so, he worked on the psychology of a team that had an initial set back of 5-1 defeat in their opening match.
In Westerhof’s 21squad were 18 players from the Nigerian domestic league.
The trio playing abroad were: Rashidi Yekini (Africa Sports, Cote d’Ivoire), Andrew Uwe (K.S.V. Roeselare, Belgium) and Friday Elahor (Brøndby IF, Denmark).
The preponderance of home-based players was precipitated by refusal of the top foreign players to come to camp.
No other Super Eagles’ coach had taken such risk. Until Sunday 15 August 2021, Westerhof was the coach with the longest single or combined tenure with the Nigerian national team.
It took 32 years since he left in 1994 for his record of longevity to be broken by Gernot Rohr. Westerhof spent 1,787 days on the saddle before he walked away on 6 July 1994.
He was therefore Nigeria’s coach for four years, 10 months and 22 days.
Now 82 years old and spending a quiet time in Arnhem, a city situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border, Westerhof has consented to speak with Sports Village Square on his adventure in Nigeria and thereafter. Stay tuned.
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has extolled the commitment and determination of Remo Stars Foot ball Club on its victory over Niger Tornadoes, describing it as unprecedented feat in the annals of Ogun State.
It would be recalled that the local football team won the first-ever Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title with a 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes on Sunday, April 27.
In so doing, they become the first team in the state to win the Nigerian elite division league since the state was created on 3 February 1976.
Before the current feat, no team from the state had won the national league. The famous Abiola Babes, the rave of the 1980s, won the Challenge Cup in 1985 and 1987.
Governor Abiodun, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, said the team has sustained the inherent first capacity Ogun State is known for, adding that their resilience and perseverance have paid off.
Governor Abiodun added that Remo Stars has consistently pushed for the best with enviable patriotic tendencies since its formation.
He said the level of the team’s dexterity and capacity earned it the 2024-2025 Nigerian Premier Football League title as well as it’s promotion to the elite league four years ago.
The Governor, therefore, implored other local clubs in Nigeria to emulate the degree of resilience and doggedness the team displayed to help in promoting Nigeria’s local league to enviable heights.
“It is my utmost delight that the age-long perseverance and consistency of the Remo Stars Football team have eventually paid off at the national level and to the admiration of every Nigerian, including our amiable President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“As the first privately-owned NPFL champions since 1996, which ceremoniously secured a place in the CAF Champions League, we commend the undiluted and unwavering determination of the players, the coaching formation, and the entire management.
“This is indeed a clear reflection of the profound trait of Ogun State as the first in all areas of success and our all-inclusive policy of transformation as enshrined in our ISEYA mantra,” the statement read.
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The historic feat of Remo Stars, who won their maiden Nigerian Premier League title on the birthday occasion of the club owner, has attracted the attention of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement posted on the State House X handle and signed by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Tinubu congratulated Remo Stars Football Club.
He remarked that winning the 2024-2025 Nigerian Premier Football League title is a milestone achievement that spotlights Ikenne and Ogun State.
President Tinubu describes the historic victory, four years after the team’s promotion to the elite league, as a testament to the hard work, discipline, and unyielding spirit of the players, the coaching crew and the management.
He admires the team’s resilience and perseverance, noting their courage in pursuing success despite three previous near misses in the race for the league title.
He hopes their example will inspire other Nigerian clubs to pursue their dreams continuously with tenacity and optimism.
He also commends the vision and commitment of the club’s owner and chairman, Kunle Soname.
His investment in grassroots football—exemplified by the construction of the state-of-the-art stadium in Ikenne—has provided a vital foundation for the growth of sports in Nigeria.
As Nigeria’s champions, Remo Stars have become Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF Champions League. President Tinubu urges the team to deploy the same undaunted spirit and focus to win continental honours.
He calls on football fans across Nigeria to rally behind the team as they carry the nation’s hopes onto the African stage.
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The Confederation of African Football, CAF has highlighted on its website, the feat of Remo Stars of Ikenne who on Sunday secured their maiden Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title.
Remo Stars edged Niger Tornadoes 1-0 at the Remo Stars Stadium to write a new chapter in their history.
A late goal from Olamilekan Muhammed Adebayo in the 84th minute proved decisive, sparking celebrations as the Sky-Blue Stars finally got their hands on the prestigious trophy.
The crucial victory moved Remo Stars to 68 points after 35 matches, having recorded 21 wins, five draws, and nine losses.
They hold a commanding 10-point lead over second-placed Rivers United, who sit on 58 points from 16 wins, 10 draws, and nine defeats.
Abia Warriors occupy third place with 56 points, while Ikorodu City are fourth on 53 points as the league campaign approaches its final stages.
A Journey Years in the Making
Founded in 2004 by Kunle Soname under the name FC Dender, Remo Stars have steadily climbed the ranks of Nigerian football over the past two decades.
Their ascent saw them earn promotion to the Nigeria National League (NNL) in 2010. However, progress was not always linear.
The club faced relegation from the top flight in 2018 but showed resilience by bouncing back in 2021, securing a place in the NPFL after finishing second in the NNL playoff Group A.
This title triumph marks a historic achievement not just for the club but also for the Southwest region.
Remo Stars are the first club from the region to win the Nigerian top-flight title since Shooting Stars lifted the trophy in 1998.
Looking Ahead
With the NPFL title secured, Remo Stars now turn their attention to preparations for continental football, as they are set to represent Nigeria in next season’s CAF Champions League.
It is a moment of immense pride for the club’s management, players, and supporters, who have waited patiently for their rise to the summit of Nigerian football.
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