Someone once asked Nigerian model and Supersport presenter, Mozez Praiz, what he would want to see happen to the Nigerian football league and without hesitation he said he would be happy to have a Lionel Messi or a player of his calibre play in the local league.
His wish may not materialise in this generation, the next or ever, but Nigeria football has instead had the privilege and benefit of tapping from the knowledge and experience of a lot of foreigners, particularly Europeans.
The list is long but one cannot fail to mention the Brazilian Otto Gloria, who led the Super Eagles to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 1980; John Masteroudes, the Greek, who founded the all-conquering Leventis United of Ibadan, the club that changed the face of Nigerian football and Dutchman, Johannes Bonfrere, who led Nigeria to the Atlanta Olympics football gold medal in 1996.
There was also Clemence Westerhof, another Dutch, who led the Super Eagles to the 1994 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) gold at Tunisia and followed it up with a scintillating performance at the USA ’94 World Cup. Before then, he had guided the Super Eagles to a silver medal at the 1990 AFCON and a bronze in 1992.
Westerhof, who is arguably the most successful Super Eagles coach, styled himself as a Dutch-gerian, because he saw himself as both a Dutch and a Nigerian. While Westerhof enjoyed glory with the Super Eagles at the national team level between 1989 and 1994, another European was performing wonders in the country, at club level. Like Westerhof, he also saw himself as a citizen of both Nigeria and his native country.
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He is Maurice Cooreman, a Belgian football manager, who was born in 1943. He considered himself a Belgerian because of the years he spent in Nigeria and even marrying a Nigerian wife. He spent almost his entire coaching career in Nigeria, where he coached a stunning 12 different Nigerian football clubs within the space of 12 years!
Cooreman handled the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) football club in 2005 and moved to Ocean Boys of Nembe in 2006, leading the four years old club to the league title in its very first year in the Premier league. Before teaming up with NPA, Cooreman had coached Bendel Insurance of Benin, Lobi Stars of Makurdi and Gabros International of Nnewi.
Between October 2006 to November 2008 he managed Enyimba International of Aba before moving to Ghanaian side, Asante Kotoko in November 2008 but his stay in Ghana was short-lived. Cooreman was appointed Head Coach of Kaduna United FC in August 2009. He spent three years with the club, leading the team to a historic Federation Cup glory for the first time for the state.
On 20 February 2012, Cooreman was named as the new head coach of Warri Wolves and just 10 months later he was signing a new one-year contract with Gombe United in October 2012. He resigned from the club for health reasons in 2014 and in March 2015 he was hired as coach of second-division Ikorodu United of Lagos. He helped the Lagos club gain promotion.
One would have expected that after leading Ikorodu United to promotion he would prosecute the new season with them but no, he moved on to sign for Akwa United ahead of the 2016 season. He led the team to its first-ever continental outing that year. In January 2017 he returned to Ikorodu United after being sacked at Akwa United.
Cooreman’s career was dogged by lots of controversies. He was sacked on not less than three occasions but because he was good at his job, as soon as he was fired, other clubs came knocking, for him. For instance, Cooreman led the defunct Ocean Boys to the Nigerian league title in 2006, but was sacked in September of the same year only to be re-hired two weeks later!
While managing Enyimba FC he received a five match ban in April 2008 after attacking a referee. Cooreman was fired at Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko after only four months of being hired!
Cooreman could not speak English when he first arrived Nigeria but he did not allow the language barrier deter him. He forged on, using interpreters to assist him while he took lessons to improve his spoken English. It was his passion and commitment to his job, his zeal to contribute to the development of the game of football in Nigeria and his determination to succeed, that made him achieve the level of success he enjoyed in Nigeria.
He was never afraid of challenges. His home country, Belgium certainly would have offered him better facilities, better training equipment and enhanced pay package but he chose to come to Nigeria to work and he stayed for so long, and even marrying a Nigerian wife. Cooreman also took up the challenge of coaching a lower division club, after handling elite clubs, and expectedly, he delivered.
Cooreman, who had three children, two of whom are playing professional football in Belgium, died in his native country on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at the age of 79.
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Confirming his death via a Twitter message, the Nigeria League Management Board said, “Our condolences to the family of Maurice Cooreman, following his death in his country, Belgium.
“He will always remain a legend in the NPFL having worked with multiple clubs as well as winning the title once with Oceans Boys in 2006.
Paul Bassey, Chairman of Akwa United, the club Cooreman led to its first continental campaign, said Cooreman was “a dynamic, passionate football coach and a good ambassador of the sport”.
On his part, Stanley Imgbi, a Yenagoa-based journalist and football enthusiast, said “Cooreman was a hard-working and committed man. That he left his country to work in Africa, and particularly Nigeria, where he coached so many different clubs, is attributable to his passion to develop African football. May his soul rest in peace”.
From whatever perspective one may want to view it, the fact cannot be denied that Cooreman contributed to the development of football in the country. The history of Nigerian football cannot be complete without a mention of the Belgerian, Maurice Cooreman.
May his soul rest in peace.
