After Imama Amapakabo was ushered through the exit door, the three-time African champions turned to a familiar face for inspiration.
The Everton legend captained the Super Eagles to a triumphant outing at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, and will now assist head coach Gernot Rohr.
“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,” an NFF statement read.
Yobo graduated to the Super Eagles after representing the country at U20 level during the 1999 Fifa U20 World Cup.
Having earned his first senior cap in an Afcon qualifying match against Zambia, the ex-Olympique Marseille man went ahead to garner 101 appearances to become the country’s most-capped player – an honour he shares with Vincent Enyeama.
Before his retirement from international football, he participated in three Fifa World Cups and six Africa Cup of Nations finals.
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.
Before then, he became Everton’s second player to feature in all 38 Premier League games without missing a single minute, during the 2006-07 season under David Moyes.
He is expected to make his bow when Rohr’s team face Sierra Leone on March 23 as the race for Cameroon 2021 commences.
