From Gowon Akpodonor, Lubango
THE news of the sack of Coach Shuaibu Amodu was received with mixed feelings in the camp of the Super Eagles in Lubango, with a some of the players condemning the action of the Presidential Task Force (PTF), while a few others saw the decision as the only way forward in putting the team in good shape for the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

But officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) say they were yet to receive any order to sack Amodu, and as such, the coach remains in charge of the team in today's last group match against the Mambas of Mozambique. It is a match the Eagles need to win to stay afloat in the competition.

There were conflicting reports on Monday, when the news filtered into the camp of the Super Eagles that the Presidency had sacked Amodu.

The NFF President, Sani Lulu Abdullahi, was said to have received an executive order to sack Amodu and replace him with a foreign coach immediately, following the team's not-too-impressive performance in the African Cup of Nations.

Though, the players refused to speak with journalists on their feelings about the alleged sack, it was learnt that majority of them faulted the decision, while few others welcomed it.

However, a board member of the NFF, Shehu Adamu, who spoke with The Guardian yesterday said that the news of Amodu's sack was a mere fabrication by some people, saying: "I am sure that nobody gave sure order to sack Amodu because there is no basis for it since the man has not breached the contractual agreement he entered with us.

"Amodu has the mandate to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup and take the Super Eagles to the semi final stage of the African Cup of Nations. So far the Super Eagles is still on course and I don't see the reason why somebody will wake up over night to issue an order that the coach should be sacked. As far as I am concerned, the board of the NFF has not received such order from anybody and Amodu remains the coach of the Super Eagles," Adamu stated.

Also speaking with The Guardian shortly before the team set out for training yesterday, the Chairman of NFF's Technical Committee, Taiwo Ogunjobi, said that Amodu is in charge of the team.

"We have not received any order from any quarter to sack Amodu. We heard the news when some people called us on Monday evening and since then we have not received any order from anybody to sack him. We remained focus for the match against Mozambique tomorrow (today). As you can see, we are preparing for our evening training and Amodu is leading the team."

The move to sack Amodu had been on the card ever since Nigeria qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Saved for the resistance on the part of Lulu, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) would have replaced Amodu with a foreign coach for the Nations Cup, which is part of Nigeria's preparations for the World Cup.

Before their departure from Benguela to Nigeria on Sunday, some members of the PTF openly expressed their displeasure over the way and manner Amodu was handling the team, especially after the team struggled to a 1-0 victory over the Squirrels of Benin Republic.

The trio of Abdulmumuni Aminu, John Fashanu and Larry Izamoje were of the views that with Amodu still in-charge of the team, Nigeria will be a laughing stock when the World Cup party begins in South Africa in June.

The PTF Chairman, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Sports Minister, Sani Ndanusa and the NFF boss, Sani Lulu, held a marathon meeting on Saturday at the Hotel De Ombaka, discussing on how to re-shape the team for the World Cup.

While the duo of Ogunjobi and Adamu did not see any reason for Amodu's sack at this point in time, some of the board members and secretariat workers of the NFF see things from another angle. Some of them who spoke with The Guardian yesterday said that as far as Lulu remains the president of the NFF, it would be difficult for anybody to torch Amodu.

One of them said: "I don't see Lulu bowing to the PTF on this issue of Amodu. I don't know the reasons but from what I have seen so far, the PTF will have to go the extra miles in this battle to remove Amodu."

Apart from being accused of fielding 'old legs', a majority of Nigerians want Amodu sacked for his inability to read games, wrong selection of players for matches as well as his poor substitutions during important matches.

The coach has also been accused of 'poor' relationship with people, especially Nigerian journalists during the current CAN2010 tournament.