By Piers Edwards BBC Sport

Chuwku has been in charge of Nigeria since August 2002

The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has approved a new two-year deal for national coach Christian Chukwu but says it still intends to sign a foreign manager.

"We will still engage a foreign coach for the team after we have secured a firm sponsorship that will foot the bills of the new coach," said board spokesman Olu Amadason.

Plans to make former England captain Bryan Robson national coach fell through last November when sports minister Musa Mohammed said Nigeria could not afford him.

I'm happy, the NFA is happy and now we are looking forward to World Cup qualification Christian Chukwu

As a result, Chukwu, who took charge of the Super Eagles in August 2002, retained his post but his contract expired last month.

"Negotiations over a new contract began a fortnight ago, and they finished last week," the former Nigeria captain told BBC Sport.

"I'm happy, the NFA is happy and now we are looking forward to World Cup qualification."

However, Chukwu has yet to sign a contract which was approved by the NFA board in a series of meetings on Wednesday and Thursday.

The manager believes he will put pen to paper when his squad returns from Nigeria's Group Four World Cup qualifier in Gabon on 9 October.

"Probably when we come back from Gabon, I'll sign the contract," Chukwu said.

We will still engage a foreign coach after we have secured sponsorship that will foot his bills NFA board spokesman Olu Amadason

Nigeria, who finished third at the 2004 Cup of Nations in February, lead their World Cup qualifying group and Chukwu believes his good record prompted the NFA's move.

"I think they went through my results since I took over and saw that I have done very well - which is why they decided to renew my contract," he explained.

Under the new deal, Chukwu will earn 800,000 naira (about 6,000 US dollars) a month.

The Nigeria boss, who has constantly endured talk of a foreign manager taking charge of the Super Eagles, has finally grown used to the endless speculation.

"It's no longer a distraction for me: my concentration is on my contract and on my job," he said.