Keshi’s contract: Is NFF playing delay tactics?

Opinions are divided over who handles the Super Eagles, Nigeria’s national team. Some are advocating that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should reconsider Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, also known as the Big Boss’ appointment in a view to giving him a fresh contract having previously performed well at the 2013 African Cup of Nations where he guided Nigeria to winning the prestigious African trophy.

Months after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the controversies rocking the Nigeria Football Federation and Keshi as to who handles the national team continues to gather momentum across the media.

A drama that started during the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup, when it was not clear if the NFF would renew the contract with the Big Boss after the tournament ended.

The NFF president had on different occasions claimed that the ruling body will offer fresh contracts to the embattled Super Eagles coach; but Keshi has come out to say that he is yet to receive any contract offer from the NFF, suggesting that the Glass House might be playing a delay tactics.

Again, others feel that the NFF should look elsewhere for a more tactical and technical hand to man the Super Eagles. The lack of depth and technical prowess as shown by Keshi in his previous campaign at the FIFA World Cup where the Eagles failed to make it to the next round of the global tourney.

The Big Boss also failed to redeem his reputation after failing to qualify the Eagles for the 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) that ended in Equatorial Guinea to defend the title won two years ago.

 

Keshi was blamed for being stubborn and not picking the best players because of some personal issues.

But as far as Keshi’s future is concerned, the situation with the new contract is still lingering.

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However, Amaju Pinnick, the president of NFF on Tuesday claimed a new contract would be offered to out-of-contract Stephen Keshi soon, claiming that the contract papers were ready.

“We have always said that we would offer a new contract to Keshi but you have to understand that these things take time and we have been working on them.

“We are hoping that by Wednesday we will have something for him. But I hope he will be able to work under the conditions that we have.

“Like working with the technical study group, the technical committee and the technical department and so on,” Amaju said.

Meanwhile, Adegboye Onigbinde, former Super Eagles coach, has criticised the NFF for playing pranks with the renewal of Keshi’s contract.

Keshi, whose contract ended since July 2014 after the summer World Cup, has been quietly searching for a job in other African countries with Burkina Faso being his last port of call as NFF hesitates in renewing his contract.

Onigbinde hinted that Keshi might leave because he may have lost confidence in working with NFF.

“I think Keshi’s heart is no longer with the Nigeria,” Onigbinde said.

“I learnt no NFF official has had any serious discussion with him. Though I read in the newspapers that the Technical Committee have recommended for Keshi to be given a new contract, it’s obvious that they are not sincere with him and nobody will like to work with a hide-and-seek employer.

“All the noise about renewal of his contract, is only in the pages of the newspapers and that is why nothing has happened all this while,” the Modakeke chief stated.

“I appreciate that a lot of Nigerians respect my opinion and I don’t want them to be misled. There is a difference between result and performance and as far as I am concerned, Keshi has so far delivered.

“Do you always pass your exams well each time you sit for it?” he asked angrily.

Meanwhile, Keshi is yet to confirm whether he will sign with the NFF, even though he has always maintained that he would love to continue as his role as the Super Eagles coach, but is currently close to getting the Burkina Faso coaching job.

Having wasted over six months without a coach for the Eagles, the NFF should as matter of urgency get a technically and tactically sound manager, a real master of the game who possesses an eagle’s eye for details unlike Keshi who had a woeful performance during last year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the AFCON qualifying games where Nigeria managed to win one out of four opening matches.

The 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifiers is around the corner and its high time NFF decides on who takes charge of the Super Eagles so as not have a repeat of what happened last year.

Anthony Nlebem