Man of history and doyen of Nigerian coaches, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde has been announced as the lead speaker at the seminar: “That Super Eagles may excel in Russia 2018 and beyond”.
The seminar, a brain child of The Sun Publishing Limited in partnership with Intrepid Communications is holding in Port Harcourt to kick-start the week long activities leading to the farewell match the Super
Eagles will play before departing for next month’s World Cup finals.
Chief Onigbinde entered the record book of the 88-year-old World Cup competition as the next African to lead a team to the global football festival after Egypt’s El Gohary feat of Italia 90. But Onigbinde remains the first black coach at the World Cup.
The octogenarian Onigbinde achieved the feat, when he led Nigeria to face Argentina on June 2, 2002 in Ibaraki. It was the first time an African handled a team at the World Cup.
Two hours later, South Africa’s Jomo Sono joined him in the record-setting episode as he also led his country to face Paraguay.
Onigbinde told www.sportsvillagesquare.com that he was delighted to have been chosen to present the lead paper.
He shot into national prominence when in February 1983; he was appointed in succession to the sacked Otto Gloria, a Brazilian professor, to handle the Nigerian national team.
He later became a technical adviser to Trinidad and Tobago, CAF and FIFA instructor on coaching.