Joseph Yobo Officially Appointed as Super Eagles Assistant Coach
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed former Super Eagles defender and captain Joseph Yobo as assistant coach of the team.The former Everton defender will replace Imama Amapakabo in the technical crew of the senior men’s national team.
He played for the Nigeria U-20 team, the Flying
Eagles – during the FIFA World Youth
Championship (now known as FIFA U20 World
Cup) in 1999.
The attack-minded defender won his first cap
for the senior team in an Africa Cup of Nations
qualifying match away to Zambia in Chingola in
April 2001 and played in three FIFA World Cup
finals in 2002, 2010 and 2014.
He also played in six Africa Cup of Nations
finals in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and
2013, capping it with leading the Super Eagles
to their third continental title in South Africa in
2013. He played a total of 100 matches for
Nigeria at senior level.
A thoroughbred and dedicated professional who
played his club football in five countries,
including sterling appearances for Olympique
Marseille in the French top flight, Fenerbahce in
Turkey and Everton FC in the English
Premiership, Joseph Yobo scored several crucial
goals for the Super Eagles in important
qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup and
the Africa Cup of Nations. He was also among
the scorers when the Eagles thrashed South
Africa’s Bafana Bafana 4-0 in a group phase
match in Tunisia 16 years ago.
Born Joseph Michael Yobo on 6th September
1980, the flamboyant stopper also played club
football in Belgium with Standard Liege,
Tenerife in Spain and Norwich City in England,
having started out with Michellin-Harcourt in
Rivers State in 1996.
