25 years after, FG keeps promise to former Super Eagles' handler

Remember Clemens Westerhof, the Dutchman who led the Super Eagles to Nations Cup glory in 1994 and also took the Super Eagles to their first ever World Cup to USA ’94?

Unarguably, the most impressive Super Eagles side so far, the team’s performance was such that at a point, the Super Eagles were ranked No 5 by Fifa. And off of those performances, a lot of promises were made, including allocating to the team members and their handlers property in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Well, that promise made 25 years ago was not kept.

And a quarter of a century after, the government seems to have woken up to its promise as it partially presented to the then technical adviser to the Super Eagles, Clemens Westerhof, the deed to his own property.

Per reports, the event took place at the conference room of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Abuja. The minister in charge of the ministry was at hand to hand over the certificate of ownership. He spoke in glowing terms of the Dutchman

“Mr Westerhof ended our long-time search for a FIFA World Cup ticket, and afterwards went on to lead the team to Africa Cup of Nations glory. As a nation, we made promises, but there was no follow-up.

“I want the NFF to document those members of the squad that have not received their houses in the FCT as promised, and as soon as we receive this, we will respond positively. I was made aware that the promises had not been fulfilled through a letter by the assistant coach, Mr Johannes Bonfrere, and we arranged for him to get his own in December 2017. Six months later, at the FIFA World Cup in Russia, a prominent journalist, Mr Onochie Anibeze, brought it to my notice that the head coach, Mr Westerhof was yet to receive his own house. We immediately initiated the process which has culminated in today’s event.

On his part, surely a relief Westerhof, who turned 79 earlier this month, says he is happy and would now spend more time in Nigeria:

His words: “I am overjoyed. I want to thank the Nigerian government for this, and I want to assure you that you will now see more of me in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is my second fatherland, and I am proud of what we were able to achieve with the players in those years. They were disciplined, dedicated and determined to lift Nigeria high, and we took Nigeria from 79th position to 5th in the world. I am thankful. However, I feel sad that some of my players have left us. May their souls rest in peace.”