28th November, 2014
Coach Stephen Keshi will be offered a new contract by Nigeria despite failing to qualify the country for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, according to officials.
There have been calls for Keshi to be replaced as the Super Eagles, just as Samson Siasia was three years ago when he failed to lead the team to the 2012 AFCON. Nigerians are calling for the resignation of Keshi following his failure to qualify Nigeria for next year’s AFCON defence of the title he won in 2013. But the Edo born coach still wants to remain as coach.
However, Keshi is now to be given a new contract according to Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive committee member Emeka Inyama.
“The board has mandated the technical committee to finalise a contract for Keshi as he still remains the coach of Nigeria,” Inyama told Africanfootball.com Friday.
Keshi has handled the Eagles without a contract after his initial three-year deal ran out after the World Cup in Brazil.
A lingering leadership tussle that dogged Nigeria football in the past four months delayed the coach signing a new deal.
‘Big Boss’ Keshi was re-instated as the country’s coach in October after the NFF executive committee led by Amaju Pinnick had initially replaced him with Shuaibu Amodu for AFCON qualifiers Congo and South Africa.
“The last time we did what we thought was best, we were forced to revert the changes by people in high places. This time around we are helpless,” a source in the NFF had earlier lamented.
“We are scared of announcing we won’t renew his deal due to what happened last time and unless he resigns or walks away we can’t help out,” he further added. But the Big Boss is refusing to walk away because he has the backing of the powers that be.