He spoke exclusively to supersport.com's Calvin Emeka Onwuka at his village of Vise near the Dutch border town of Maastricht. He did not mince words nor pull punches on his views of the current team and the technical crew.
supersport.com: What do you make of the current team?
Bonfrere Jo: I think their play is too slow. I do not think the current coaching crew are honest and dedicated enough to improve the team to reach the level they should be at.
supersport.com: But they won the Afcon
Bonfrere Jo: You saw their first two matches, how badly they played. Something happened between that match and the Cote D'Ivoire match and all of a sudden they won. I have coached in China and even though one can not prove these things we know it happens..
supersport.com: You implying some underhand dealings?
Bonfrere Jo: look, it has happened many times and in football unfortunately it is very difficult to prove how but we know these things do happen. Even in their other matches after against Mali and the final against Burkina Faso they seemed to have improved suddenly. In any case, the team does not play in the way Nigerian players and teams have been known to play.
supersport.com: Do you not think that this group of players might not be on the same level as the ones you worked with?
Bonfrere Jo: Not like that. Nigerian footballers have natural technical ability, they have incredible athleticism and speed and they are brave. So what an honest coach just has to do is give them tactics and imbibe in them teamwork. That's it.
supersport.com: Stephen Keshi was your assistant in 2000, did you think he will get to become a successful coach?
Bonfrere Jo: He was a very good footballer. Really, really good. However, as an assistant at the time he was not clued up enough to know what to do exactly. So I had a few difficult times with him. However he seems to have improved on the job.
supersport.com: He is currently having a few issues with the NFF. Did they help or hinder you during your time?
Bonfrere Jo: for sure they never helped! They were a constant problem from the chairman to the sec-gen and even the sports minister at the times. Always making the job difficult and so they will be doing same for Keshi now thats for sure.
supersport.com: why do they do these things?
Bonfrere Jo: sometimes it is because they do not know what their duties are really. For instance, when I was there I ask them for friendly matches for the national team and they say to me "coach, you do it". So, I was the one sending faxes to countries in Europe for friendly matches which should not have been so when my job really is to coach the players.
supersport.com: what advice will you give to Keshi ?
Bonfrere Jo: He won't listen to me .
supersport.com: He might still get to read this anyway..
Bonfrere Jo: I will tell him to be honest with his players and himself in terms of who he selects. I have heard rumours and he should know that these things can affect the players and they will stop playing for him. Once the players do not trust the coach they will stop playing for him and the team suffers. Stephen Keshi must not only sit in Nigeria and make phone calls to invite players; he should get up and go to their clubs, see them in action and in training and so have a good feel of the players.
The truth is that if the team fails to qualify for the world cup he will be sacked and then all the years of work will be lost and the country starts again with a new coach. Therefore his focus must be on improving the team to qualify and then play at a higher level than what happened at the Confederations Cup.
supersport.com: You don't think they performed well enough in Brazil?
Bonfrere Jo: not at all. Very poor tactics and an over reliance on individual magic to save the team. That is the team's problems I had said from the beginning.
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