But does he have what it takes to lead Nigeria to the top?

Fans' expectations for the World Cup are higher than ever.

The Super Eagles have promised so much but have ultimately disappointed in previous tournaments.

Amodu Shaibu took over the reigns of Nigeria's national team in April after yet another foreign coach failed to deliver.

It is his second spell in the job and his record on his return has so far been good.

As well as getting to Japan and Korea, the Super Eagles are one of the favourites for the African Nations Cup in Mali in January.

But can he really lead Nigeria to success?

The questions flooded in from readers, and now you can see Shaibu's answers.

How are going to succeed where others have failed?
B Nuevo, UK

Obviously I have the opportunity, and I am sure the team will be able to deliver. We have to take the challenge very seriously.

I was at the match against Japan and I was really disappointed with our goalkeeper Ike Shorounmu. Do we have other goalkeepers, because I don't see him being a rock at the World Cup finals?
Taofiq, UK

Tthere are other goalkeepers. On Sunday, we had Murphy Akanji, who is playing in Malta. He is equally as good, but Ike has always been number one and will stay number one.

The problem with Ike is purely pyschological. He had his contract blocked at Besiktas in Turkey, and he's not been playing. He has to ensure that he gets a team and comes back playing again before the Nations Cup.

Will Ike Shorounmu still be selected for the Nations Cup and World Cup if he fails to find a club soon?
Chidi, England

I'm sure Shorounmu will find a club, but if he doesn't, he may have to go through a very special programme much longer than the other players before the Nations Cup.

Against Japan, he did look rusty and is not match-fit, which is a source of worry really. We have talked it over with him and he is sure he is going to get a club very soon. - Yes he looked rusty. He's not match fit. it's a source of worry really. We have talked it over with him and he is sure he is going to get a club very soon. But he is still first choice because he has the right experience.

What are your plans for the defence? Taribo West is the best we have, but he is currently clubless, by choice.
Dean, USA

It's the same situation as with Shorounmu. With Taribo, I have to take a trip to Milan to find out what is happening to him. He is a key player in the defence, and it is a source or worry. I as a coach must meet up with him very soon to sort out his future, as he needs to come back playing very fast.

The defence is a source of worry. But I say to you, when the Nigerian team get together for two or three weeks, they become a very difficult team to beat. And we're going to take advantage of that - get together before the Nations Cup, and that will make the whole difference.

Do Nigeria have plenty of friendlies lined up before the Nations Cup, given the number of players who need to be tried out?
Richard Iwezulu, USA

Japan exposed a few problems but we are liining up other matches. In November, we're planning a four-nation tournament at home - we intend to play against Norway, Belgium and Cameroon or Senegal. That will further expose any lapses.

By 2 January, the team should be in camp, and that gives us a whole three weeks to prepare for the Nations Cup. In that time, we could face some more African opposition.

Should Julius Aghahowa not be starting games, given that he has a better strike rate than Victor Agali?
Onyeka Ezenwoye, USA

He has started, but we often play him on the bench strategically. It depends who we have in the line-up. Agahowa is not a striker, he is more of a wide player, but we sometimes move him into the centre-forward position, and he does the damage.

He might play some games from the start, and he might play some games from the bench. At the Nations Cup, he got the important goals when he came on as a sub. Sometimes when you start him, he doesn't score because all eyes are on him. He's still young - you don't want to put too much pressure on him.

Agali is not finding his rhythm, but that doesn't mean we should throw him out. He is from the same mould as Rashidi Yekini. We have to psych him up and prepare him mentally. I guess at the moment he is too eager to impress - but he will turn out right and just needs to take time to establish himself.

What have you got to say about Chukwu Ndukwe's performance in the games in South Korea? Is it not time he was drafted into the main team?
Chinedu Chukwujekwu, South Africa

He will have to compete for a place in the 22-man squad, but he is definitely part of the plans. He was a member of the last Nations Cup squad and will feature among the players invited to come to camp. If he does well, he'll be in as he's a very good striker.

How are you building for the future, as I believe the likes of Okocha, Oliseh and Finidi George are passing their best, yet still form the backbone of the team?
Hakeem Abimbola, UK

The Nations cup sets up a platform to see what the team can offer in the World Cup, and we can use that as a benchmark. Most of the players who played against Japan will make up the core of the team, though. They were the ones that qualified Nigeria for the World Cup. They are more experienced, and there is no time to change things - you have to depend on them. They are still good and can carry Nigeria very far.

What are the chances for James Obiorah, the leading Nigerian scorer in Europe, and Wilson Oruma, who has been in great form lately?
Gregory, Canada

We have given Oruma four opportunities to come and play some of the friendly games, but he doesn't show up. We even called him for the World Cup qualifying games, but he didn't come. I guess he doesn't want to play for his country any more, so we're not thinking about him.

James Obiorah is doing well at Lokomotiv Moscow. We'll take a look at him, and if we think he's better than what we have now, we will call him in and see what he can do.

How do you and the Nigerian FA monitor the vast number of professionals playing abroad?
Mr Shows, UK

We don't have the time to comb all the streets of Europe looking for players when we have some people who are handy and have played together before. But modern technology makes it easy to monitor people here and there. You go to the internet and you can find where players are and how they are playing.

But before the Nations Cup, I and other technical crew members will be going in person to see how some of our targets are doing.

Did you ever play football at the top level yourself?
Amoo Ade, USA

I played at national level, but not international level. I played for the professional second division team Niger Tornadoes. But I had an injury - fracture - that put me into coaching very early in life. I've been coaching for 20 years, so it's little wonder that I am one of the best in Nigeria and Africa. I have won the Nigerian league, the FA Cup and the African Cup Winners Cup.

What does it mean to you to be the first indigenous coach to lead Nigeria to the World Cup?
Romeri Jakpor, USA

It is very satisfying, especially to know that everybody appreciates what you have done. And because I haven't betrayed the trust of those who believed I would deliver.

What difficulties and problems are you having in dealing with the Nigerian FA?
Zayyana Abba Abdullahi, Nigeria

Sometimes you talk, and sometimes you don't talk. Having been there for some time and having experienced the bad side of it, I am able to tolerate things I couldn't tolerate before. To work with the NFA is to be patient, as most things aren't in place. I guess that if I was a new man I would have made mistakes. But because I've been there before, I know what the future will bring. So I go with the pace.

I haven't been told officially I will take the team to the World Cup. It's not in writing. I'm not thinking about it, just doing everything in anticipation. We want to work thinking we will take the team to the World Cup.

How far are you willing to go to overhaul the Super Eagles and make them a force at the World Cup?
Rocky, USA

If I am in charge, the team structure will not change much. I have said it repeatedly. We are going to reinforce some areas, in the defence and goalkeeping. But ultimately, the Finidis, the Okochas, the Olisehs have to go to the Nations Cup and move onto the World Cup.

I cannot compromise experience for any young person. Anybody who is young has to be very good to get in. I want to reassure my country of that. After the World Cup, some players may choose to retire, and some younger ones are being prepared to take over.

How far do you think Nigeria will go at the World Cup?
Tunde, Nigeria

Putting pressure on me or the team will be counter-productive. If things come good, fine, but if it doesn't then we have to say it happens, and try to forge ahead. I still say here that the players are fired up, as I am, to make history. It's better to play things down, and then we can satisfy people. We don't need pressure, but we want to give Nigerians everything to be happy about.

Do you think CAF's idea of allowing the Cup of Nations to double up as World Cup qualifiers is a good idea, given that the CAN event is always biased towards the home team?
Willie Chopa, Kenya

I don't think it will be proper. It will kill the spirit of the Nations Cup. It may reduce the number of games played, but the best way to do that is to harmonise international calenders, so that players aren't needed by their clubs and their countries at the same time. We would cry to Fifa, saying it could kill African football.

Would you entertain the idea of having Jo Bonfrere as an assistant?
Ike, Nigeria

I wish he could accept to come and work as an assistant, so he can learn from me what he never knew about Nigerian football, and that would help him.

Our admiistrators believed that because our players are high profile and play overseas, they needed big name white foriegn coaches to manage them properly. Now they realise that is not working out.

Westerhof did well, but only over time. Bonfrere soon lost his track - he became overbearing and didn't listen to advice from his assisants like me. We understand the players' backgrounds and their mentality, so when they come home we can work better with them. We're not softer on them. What you have to do is make sure they have nothing to worry about, and that they get all their rights and dues.