A report has emerged linking former Nigeria and Barcelona winger Emmanuel Amunike with a return to coaching after a year away from the sidelines.
Amunike’s last job was with Zambia’s Zanaco FC, where he worked as both coach and consultant before leaving in 2023.
Recently, he applied for the Super Eagles head coach position, but the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) chose Finidi George instead. After poor performances against South Africa and Benin in June, Finidi resigned, leaving the position vacant. The NFF now plans to hire a foreign Technical Adviser for the team.
Reports per SCORENIGERIA suggest Amunike is close to securing a coaching job with Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) club Heartland FC. ScoreNigeria reports that he has already been given the job and is set to be officially announced soon. Amuneke, who has been quietly working with his hometown club, has started recruiting players for the upcoming season.
READ MORE: Finidi George poised for coaching return after Super Eagles exit
Heartland FC were relegated to the NPFL after finishing 19th in the 20-team league last season. The club is reportedly planning to buy the NPFL slot of Beyond Limits, a team that earned promotion from the Nigeria National League (NNL) but faces participation issues due to their affiliation with Remo Stars.
Amunike, 53, has extensive coaching experience in both domestic and international football. He previously coached Julius Berger and Ocean Boys in Nigeria before leading the Nigeria U17 team to World Cup victory in 2015.
He also managed Tanzania’s national team, leading them to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, and had roles with Egypt’s Misr El Makkasa and as an assistant coach of Nigeria’s national team.
Meanwhile, Amunike was recently pictured with former Golden Eaglets skipper Kelechi Nwakali in Owerri.
Emmanuel Amunike met Kelechi Nwakali In Owerri
