Keshi to Remain in Charge of Eagles or Not- The NFF Discord

There are discordant views among Executive Committee (ExCo) members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as regards renewing Stephen Keshi’s contract as Super Eagles boss at the moment.

A section of bosses at the helm of the Nigerian football family are understood to be open to the idea of handing Keshi a new contract, but faces opposition from a majority, who insists that an “unanimous decision” to sack the 52-year-old in October should remain binding.

The former Togo and Mali coach was dismissed by the NFF but was later reinstated on the orders of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.

Stephen Keshi Failed to Qualify the Super Eagles for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Image: Getty.
Stephen Keshi Failed to Qualify the Super Eagles for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Image: Getty.

Nigeria eventually missed out on qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup on Nations (Afcon) in Equatorial Guinea under the reprieved Keshi’s tutelage. Several top coaches including Shuaibu Amodu, Christian Chukwu and Adebgboye Onigbinde have asked the coach to bow out honourably because he has failed.

The section of the NFF working tirelessly to ensure Keshi retains the Eagles job are believed to be acting so as to help them keep their own plum jobs- with the notion that this could foster relationship between them and Keshi’s top notch “friends”.

Moreover, the sports minister’s decision to directly pay the coach 14 million Naira as salaries for the months of October and November has not helped mend bridges between the coach and top football chiefs, who now feel slighted.