Clemens Westerhof
Encyclopedia
Clemens Westerhof is a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 manager, who has worked in various football positions on the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

n continent since 1989.

He is most noted for his success with the Nigerian national team
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...

. Under Westerhof, the Super Eagles won the 1994 African Cup of Nations
1994 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------Group C:---------Group D:---------Knockout Stages:-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Scorers:5 goals Rashidi Yekini4 goals Joël Tiéhi...

 and also qualified for the second round of the FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...

 that year.

Westerhof began his career as an assistant coach with Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...

 in the Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....

. He has also coached Vitesse Arnhem
Vitesse Arnhem
Stichting Betaald Voetbal Vitesse is a Dutch football club from Arnhem, which was founded on 14 May 1892. Vitesse has had considerable success in the Eredivisie, and featured in the UEFA Cup competition, but has never been considered a close competitor of the top three clubs of Netherlands...

, the Zimbabwean national team
Zimbabwe national football team
The Zimbabwe national football team, nicknamed The Warriors, is the national team of Zimbabwe and is controlled by the Zimbabwe Football Association. They were known as the Southern Rhodesia national football team from 1939–1964, then the Rhodesia national football team until 1980, when Rhodesia...

, the Sporting Lions of Zimbabwe's Premier League, and the Bush Bucks
Bush Bucks
Bush Bucks is a former South African football . The club was founded in 1957 and based in Umtata in the Eastern Cape. It is nicknamed Imbabala ....

 and Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns are a South African football club that plays in the Premier Soccer League.Since 2003, Sundowns are owned by rand billionaire Patrice Motsepe....

 of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

's Premier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League of South Africa. The top league is the ABSA Premiership, sponsored by ABSA...

. In addition, he has served as technical director of the Harare-based Agatha Sheneti Youth Academy and also of the Harare United club, which was linked to the Academy. In 2001 he was technical director of Dynamos FC
Dynamos (Zimbabwe)
Dynamos Football Club is a Zimbabwean professional football club based since 1963 at Rufaro Stadium, Mbare, Harare. The team is contesting Zimbabwe's top-tier Premier Soccer League during the 2010 season...

, Zimbabwe's biggest club, but lasted in the position just a few months.

Nigerian national team

In late 1989, Westerhof was signed by the Nigerian Football Association to coach the national team. After the team failed to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...

 by failing to get at least a draw away to Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...

 on the last day of qualifying, Westerhof set about rebuilding the team. His effect was immediate, as Nigeria reached the final of the 1990 African Cup of Nations
1990 African Cup of Nations
-Semi-finals:-----Third Place Play-off:-Final:-Top scorers:4 goals Djamel Menad3 goals Djamel Amani Rashidi Yekini2 goals Rabah Madjer Chérif Oudjani Emmanuel Maboang Abdoulaye Traoré Webster Chikabala...

 where they lost 1-0 to the host nation Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...

. In the lead-up to the 1992 African Cup of Nations
1992 African Cup of Nations
The 1992 African Cup of Nations was the 18th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Senegal. The field expanded to twelve teams, split into four groups of three; the top two teams in each group advanced to the quarterfinals...

, the Nigerian team which had adopted the nickname "Super Eagles" since losing controversially to Cameroon in the 1988 African Cup of Nations
1988 African Cup of Nations
The 1988 African Cup of Nations was the 16th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Morocco, who replaced original host Zambia. Just like in 1986, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. The tournament final was held in...

 final match tried to justify the tag thanks to their recent winning run under Westerhof. They placed third at that tournament, losing to archrivals Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...

 in the semi-final.

1994 World Cup

In 1992, Nigeria began its quest to qualify for its first-ever FIFA World Cup, which would be held in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 two years later. Placed in a group with South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...

 and Congo
Congo national football team
The Congo national football team, nicknamed the Diables Rouges , is the national team of the Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup, but did win the Africa Cup of Nations in 1972...

, Nigeria finished top of its group in the first round, winning 3 games and drawing 1, and did not concede a single goal in all 4 games. For the second and final round, Nigeria was grouped with Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...

 and Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...

. The Super Eagles won 2 games, drew 1 and lost 1, and finished equal with Côte d'Ivoire on points but advanced to the World Cup with a superior goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....

.

Nigeria entered the 1994 World Cup in Group D with Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...

, Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...

 and Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...

. Despite losing 2-1 to Argentina, wins over Bulgaria and Greece allowed the Super Eagles to do the unthinkable and finish top of the group, advancing to the second round.
Westerhof's side faced Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

 in the second round. A first-half goal by Emmanuel Amuneke gave Nigeria a 1-0 lead at half-time, and they appeared to be heading for an upset win when Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...

 scored to tie the game just 2 minutes from the final whistle. Baggio scored again from a penalty kick, 10 minutes into extra time, giving Italy a 2-1 win and knocking Nigeria out of the tournament.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Super Eagles' World Cup campaign was considered a tremendous success, and Westerhof and the players were hailed as heroes on their return to Nigeria.

1994 African Cup of Nations

Between the qualifying and the final round of the 1994 World Cup, Nigeria qualified for and competed in the 1994 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...

. After finishing top of their qualifying group (which also featured Uganda
Uganda national football team
The Uganda national football team, nicknamed The Cranes, is the national team of Uganda and is controlled by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations...

, Sudan
Sudan national football team
The Sudan national football team represents Sudan in association football and is controlled by the Sudan Football Association, the governing body for football in Sudan. Sudan's home ground is Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman and their head coach is Mohammed Abdullah Mazda...

 and Ethiopia
Ethiopia national football team
The Ethiopia national football team represents Ethiopia in association football and is controlled by the Ethiopian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Ethiopia...

), Nigeria advanced to the final round where they were placed in Group B with Egypt and Gabon
Gabon national football team
The Gabon national football team, nicknamed Azingo Nationale, is the national team of Gabon and is controlled by the Fédération Gabonaise de Football...

. They drew with Egypt and beat Gabon to advance to the quarter-finals where they beat Zaire
Congo DR national football team
The Congo DR national football team is the national team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association , and are nicknamed The Leopards.Congo have been ranked as high as 51 in the FIFA Rankings...

.

A penalty shootout win over Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...

 in the semi-finals set up a final match against Zambia
Zambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of...

, which they won 2-1. It was Nigeria's second African Cup of Nations championship, the first since 1980
1980 African Cup of Nations
The 1980 African Cup of Nations was the 12th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Nigeria. Just like in 1978, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four...

, and the first trophy in Westerhof's career as a manager.

Legacy

Westerhof is credited with turning Nigeria into a perennial powerhouse in African football and showing that they, and other African nations, can compete on the world stage. He is responsible for what could be described as a "golden" period in Nigerian football. Players such as Jay-Jay Okocha
Jay-Jay Okocha
Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is known for his stepovers, skill, technique, and being 'so good that they named him twice'...

, Sunday Oliseh, Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu, OON , or simply Kanu, is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Portsmouth. He was also a member of the Nigerian national team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010...

, Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi
Daniel Amokachi
Daniel Owefin Amokachi nicknamed "The Bull" is a former football striker from Nigeria.- Career :While playing for Ranchers Bees, Amokachi was discovered by Nigerian national team coach Clemens Westerhof, who brought the talented player to the 1990 African Nations Cup, and soon Amokachi moved to...

 and others, who all went on to successful careers with various high-profile European clubs, entered the world spotlight while playing under Westerhof.

Criticism from players

Following a 2-1 defeat by Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

 at the 1994 FIFA World Cup which eliminated Nigeria from the tournament, striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 Rashidi Yekini was critical of both Westerhof and his team-mates, telling reporters:
"I have always been against this coach [Westerhof] ... It is no secret that I don't like him and he doesn't like me. I tried to go against him long ago, but my teammates did not support me. As a result, I was played out of the game. I never saw the ball."http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903E4DA1F3CF935A35754C0A962958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fW%2fWorld%20Cup%20%28Soccer%29


Finidi George
Finidi George
Finidi George is a retired Nigerian footballer who played as a right winger.After making a name for himself at Ajax in the Netherlands – being a leading figure in a team which won eight major titles, including the 1994–95 UEFA Champions League – he played several years in Spain with Real Betis,...

 and Emmanuel Amuneke were two other Nigerian international players reported to have fallen out of favour with Westerhof http://www.cometnewsonline.com/big_boss.html; both players were dropped from the team by Westerhof at different points during his tenure as manager, only for the players to be subsequently reinstated in the team following the Nigerian Football Association's decision to overrule Westerhof.

South African Football Association

Westerhof sued the South African Football Association
South African Football Association
The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four...

 in 2000 over an alleged breach of contract, claiming they had picked him to coach that country's national team
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...

. He was eventually passed over for the position, however, and it was given to Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Manuel Brito Leal Queiroz ComIH is a Portuguese football manager. He is currently the manager of the Iran national football team. A former manager of Real Madrid, and Portugal national football team, he has also twice been Alex Ferguson's assistant manager at English club Manchester...

. The dispute was settled out-of-court, with Westerhof receiving less than the originally reported 1 million rand
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...

 (approx. $150,000 US
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/2441731.stm

Divorce

Westerhof was married to Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

an model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....

 Tendayi Katekete; however, their marriage ended in a much-publicised divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...

 in 2002 in her home country that resulted in his being forced to leave to South Africa as his work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...

 had expired in Zimbabwe. She told the Financial Gazette newspaper that, "I have four children with three men... and not four" and that her ex-husband had not paid a "single cent" towards the support of their daughter, Aaliyah Nyashadzashe. Tendayi also went public with her HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

 positive status, blaming Westerhof for it, allegations which he denied. http://www.fingaz.co.zw/fingaz/2005/August/August18/9250.shtml

Return to Nigeria

Most recently, Westerhof has returned to Nigeria to serve as rector and chief administrator at the Football School of Excellence in the city of Ilorin
Ilorin
Ilorin is one of the largest cities in Nigeria and is the capital of Kwara State. As of 2007 it had a population of 847,582.-History:Ilorin was founded by the Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, in 1450...

, a college which helps develop young players in that country.

In 2005, as Nigeria's national team searched for a manager to help them qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 (a campaign which ultimately failed), Westerhof was named as one of the candidates for the job. He quickly ruled himself out of the race http://www.odili.net/news/source/2005/jul/7/313.html, saying, "My hands are full... I have given my words to [School of Excellence CEO] Kojo Williams on the School of Excellence Academy. I am a man of my words and I stick with that academy." Most Nigerians still believe Westerhof was and is the best Coach Nigerian football ever had.

Quotes


External links

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