Bonfrere in last day as Nigeria coach

Nigeria's Sports Minister Ishaya Mark Aku wants national team coach Jo Bonfrere fired when the Nigerian Football Association meets tomorrow to discuss the team's poor form.

"I'm expecting action from the NFA and I will totally support it if they sack Bonfrere," he told 'The Vanguard' newspaper and Bonfrere is expected to be fired tomorrow and his contract paid off.

A 1-0 World Cup defeat by Sierra Leone was followed by Bonfrere backtracking on a threat to quit as coach if the team lost to Sierra Leone.

Senior stars Taribo West and Nwankwo Kanu have asked the NFA not to call them tomorrow to support Bonfrere's position.

The Nigerians are third in Group B behind Sudan and leaders Liberia with one team to reach the finals next year.

The Nigerian parliament is to discuss Bonfrere's position today before making recommendations to the NFA. Nigeria must win at home to Liberia on May 5th but several senior stars - including Kanu - are not ken to play in the game. The striker has commitments with Arsenal who play an FA Cup final after the Liberia game and the London club are in talks to off load the 24 year old to FC Barcelona in the summer.

Nigerian politicians are keen to send a clear message to the NFA that Bonfrere is to be axed even if they have to install a temporary coaching team and pay off his contract.

Bonfrere has no support in the NFA and complained his preparations for the Freetown game were undermined.