Former Super Eagles players have expressed differing opinions on hiring a foreign coach for the senior national team, according to TalkTalk Nigeria Sports Extra.

Following Jose Peseiro's retirement after leading the Eagles to the Africa Cup of Nations final in Ivory Coast in February, speculation has grown about the Portuguese potential successor, with over 60 applicants apparently vying for the position.

With the Nigeria Football Federation on the cusp of appointing Peseiro's replacement, foreigners Danny Buijs, Domenec Torrent, and Antonio Conceicao, as well as homegrown talent Emmanuel Amuneke, are allegedly the main runners for the role.

Abbey George, a former Eagles defender, has stated that local coaches may struggle to manage national team players.

"There is no local coach who can handle the big egos of the Super Eagles players so that he can earn their respect," the former Crewe Alexandra defender remarked during a radio interview with Brila FM, which our correspondent observed on Wednesday.

"It is critical that the next coach gets the players' complete respect since success cannot be guaranteed otherwise. And I've been looking for a Nigerian coach who can do this, but I can't find one."

Another ex-international, Ifeanyi Udeze, shares similar ideas, stating that he would like a foreigner to manage the national team.

"Left to me, I would prefer a foreign coach to lead the Eagles," Udeze remarked on Brila FM.

"But if the NFF goes ahead to appoint a local coach, no problem, because there is no time, the World Cup qualifiers is close but my preferred choice is a foreign coach."

However, Sunday Oliseh, a former Eagles captain and coach, has endorsed Emmanuel Amuneke for the position.

"If he is the only indigenous coach left on the shortlist, then he should get it," Oliseh told TalkTalk Nigeria Sports.

"Everyone knows I support an indigenous coach for the Eagles. I've stated that we don't need a foreign coach; we simply need to get our house in order.

Garba Lawal, a member of the Atlanta '96 gold medal-winning team, also expressed misgivings about selecting a foreign coach.

He cited previous performances under both foreign and indigenous coaches, implying that success was dependent on variables other than coaching nationality.

"We should forget about those coaches," Lawal told TalkTalk Nigeria Sports Extra.

"When you mention a foreign coach, people will wonder if we have money to pay him. So it is not a good idea to hire a foreign coach right now since you have to put money down before he arrives."

Felix Owolabi, a member of the NFF Technical Committee, recommended a hybrid method that combined the strengths of local and foreign coaches.

Reflecting on previous accomplishments, Owolabi mentioned the victories under foreign coaches Otto Gloria and Clemens Westerhof, as well as Stephen Keshi's victory as a Nigerian coach, implying that excellence could be attained through a blend of talents and viewpoints.

“To manage the Eagles, the coach must have integrity such that the players will respect him,”Owolabo stated.

"There should also be an understanding that such a person will respect the local league, which represents our football's future and destiny.

"Results will come from a combination of both and a complete understanding. After all, we won the African Nations Cup three times with two white players, Otto Gloria and Westerhof. "You can only get the best if you strive for the best," he stated.