Abuja: Nigerian football officials confirmed that they were considering hiring former Germany coach Berti Vogts to take charge of the national team.

The Nigerian Football Association (NFA) chairman, Sani Lulu and technical committee chairman, Taiwo Ogunjobi, departed from Nigeria to interview some expatriate coaches listed for the job, said NFA spokesperson Robin Okosun here Sunday.

"The NFA bosses were supposed to have returned from London last Friday, but they did not complete the assignment until Saturday," he said.

A NFA official said before the team left they had Vogts in mind for the job as he topped the rating in a list of coaches to be interviewed.

"The German was the most favoured when the final list of possible coaches was made ahead of the London trip," said a member of the media committee of the NFA.

A local telecommunications company, Globacom, has indicated its willingness to pay part of the salaries of the national coach.

Vogts confirmed talks with the NFA about taking charge of the Super Eagles.

"We have met and exchanged views. That was some time ago," he said.

Vogts however, said he did not expect a quick decision, and that he was also looking for a long-time appointment beyond the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"I am not a coach who only works for tomorrow. The entire organisation of the (football) association and the whole concept must be right," he said.

That would include not just the work of the national team squad but also the development of young talent.

"I have some clear ideas here," Vogts said.

Vogts had been quoted by the Berliner Zeitung newspaper Saturday as saying he had spoken to the NFA and was "going to see what are the possibilities".

Nigeria have "a very good team with very many good individual players", said the former German coach.

Lulu told the British Broadcasting Corporation several candidates were being considered to take charge of the Super Eagles.

"We're looking for someone with a lot of experience, someone who is well established in the world of football," he said. "He must also be a globally recognised name who can chart a new course for Nigerian football."

Vogts, 60, played 96 times for West Germany, was a World Cup winner in 1974 and was in charge of the national side between 1990 and 1998, winning the European Championships in 1996.

After short coaching spells at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and in Kuwait he coached the Scottish national side for two-and-a-half-years until November 2004.

Vogts is currently working as a television pundit.