Emmanuel Egbo exclusive: Being Nigeria's first Euro title winner; Emenalo pride at SPL role; my fear for Super Eagles

Emmanuel Egbo is a title winner. A Champions League veteran. And a trailblazer. The former Nigeria international goalkeeper still the only coach from his country to win a league title in Europe.

Egbo achieved that feat with FK Tirana, winning Albania's 2019/20 Super Lig championship - and so also taking the club into the Champions League qualifiers. And even then, the journey didn't end. Egbo, now 50, would guide Tirana past the first round before eventually losing narrowly to Red Star Belgrade in the second round of qualifying.

“Well, even for me I was surprised at the time to learn that I was the first Nigerian coach or manager to win a title in Europe," Egbo, who has just taken charge of FC Prishtina in Kosovo, recalled with a smile to Tribalfootball.com, "because I was focused more on doing my job and winning for my team.

"But at home it was greeted very well! Everybody was calling me about this achievement back in Nigeria. I knew then that this could act as a motivation for other Nigerian coaches to work hard and break into Europe.

"I certainly received a lot of messages of congratulations back then."

Three years on from lifting that Albanian title, Egbo has just taken charge of FC Prishtina. Egbo hoping his appointment a fortnight ago can help raise the profile of Nigerians in Europe.

By his own admission there is a concern about talent development in his home nation. The depth now available to Nigeria coach Jose Pereiro nothing like the players Egbo competed with 20 years ago.

A veteran of 12 caps with the Super Eagles and two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, Egbo admits it's a struggle to name more than only handful of players capable of playing for Europe's biggest clubs.

He says: “In contrast to the past now you