Former Footballer Joseph Yobo to Play Role of Super Eagles’ Assistant Coach

The former Nigerian professional footballer, Joseph Yobo, who was once the captain of the Nigerian national team, was appointed Assistant coach of the Super Eagles by the Nigeria Football Federation yesterday. The 39-year old will now work with manager Gernot Rohr and replace Imama Amapakabo in the technical crew.

A statement from the Nigeria Football Federation read, “The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed former Super Eagles’ defender and captain Joseph Yobo as assistant coach of the team. He replaces Imama Amapakabo in the three -ime African champions’ technical crew.”

Joseph Yobo first debuted in 2000, after which he was loaned to Tenerife. He was later signed by David Moyes, a Scottish professional football coach and former player. He won the first of his 100 caps for Nigeria against Zambia in Chingola in 2001. A move was taken to make Yobo a permanent player in 2003. He is also known as Nigeria’s joint record appearance holder.  

In 2007, Joseph Yobo became one of the most consistent players in the Everton squad, and was one of the only seven players in the entire league to play every minute of every game throughout the 2006–07 season. In the same year, he also became the record appearance holder for an overseas player at Everton, a record he held until early 2012.

In his 14-year career, Yobo represented the Super Eagles at three FIFA World Cups in 2002, 2010 and 2014, playing ten matches at the World Cup finals in total and six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. At club level, he won two Turkish Cups as well as one Super Lig title, and was voted in Africa’s best XI for the 2007–08 season. 

The former Everton, Fenerbahce and Norwich City defender, also skippered the Super Eagles to Africa Cup of Nations success in South Africa in 2013 and will now assist Gernot Rohr, head coach of the Nigeria national football team. Joseph Yobo is expected to make his first appearance as Assistant coach of the Super Eagles, when Rohr’s team faces Sierra Leone on March 23 with the commencement of Cameroon 2021 race.