Stephen Keshi
Isaac Semitoje has questioned the decision of the Nigeria Football Federation to stick to Stephen Keshi as Nigeria coach after the move to renew his contract triggered a firestorm of criticism from across the country.
Keshi, who guided the Super Eagles to a third Africa Cup of Nations title in South Africa in 2013, came under heavy criticism for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2015 elite continental tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
The former Nigeria captain was fired after the Eagles’ Equatorial Guinea 2015 qualification came under threat after Nigeria beat Sudan 3-1 in Abuja on October 15, 2014 – and Congo battled to a goalless draw against South Africa in Polokwane to gain an advantage in the race for the second ticket in the AFCON 2015 Group A qualifiers.
But the former Togo manager, who led the Eagles to a second round exit at the World Cup in Brazil last year, was reinstated three weeks after to complete the Africa Cup of Nations qualification assignment. His reinstatement was reportedly ordered by the Presidency, as he is believed to be close to President Goodluck Jonathan.
Keshi courted controversy with his alleged demand for a N10m-a-month deal after he failed to steer the Eagles to Equatorial Guinea to defend the title they won in South Africa in 2013. His initial three-year N5m-a-month contract expired after Brazil 2014, but the NFF asked him to lead the Eagles through the 2015 AFCON qualifiers pending the conclusion of talks over a new contract for him.
The General Secretary of the NFF Mohammed Sanusi told reporters during the week that Keshi would put pen to paper for a new contract on Friday. But reports claimed the ceremony had been postponed until next week because the NFF President Amaju Pinnick is currently outside the country.
With Nigeria scheduled to open their Gabon 2017 AFCON qualifiers at home against Chad on June 13 – and the NFF still locked in negotiations with Keshi, former Nigeria defender Semitoje says the football body should discontinue its contract talks with his ex-Eagles’ teammate.
“It’s like Keshi is desperate for the job – and it is clear the NFF is no longer interested in his services,” the former Iwuanyanwu Nationale captain, who won the Tunisia ’94 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Keshi, told our correspondent on the telephone from Denmark during the week.
“The NFF should reject him because coaching the national team is not his birthright. Keshi should also reject the job because he won’t receive support from the NFF.
“He should stop disgracing other Nigerian coaches by hanging around the NFF to be given the job.
“If he’s highly interested in developing our football, he should set up an academy to discover talented players for the country.”
The Algiers ’90 Africa Cup of Nations silver medallist added, “Keshi needs a fresh challenge after winning the Africa Cup of Nations and taking Nigeria to the World Cup.
“He should go to another country to prove himself. He can manage a club in the domestic league to prove a point.
“Austin Eguavoen has been coaching clubs in the domestic league. Keshi should emulate him.
“He can come back later to coach the national team. Samson Siasia, who was sacked by the NFF after we failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, is back with the Under-23 team. Keshi shouldn’t make coaching the Eagles a do-or-die affair.”
The former Glostrup FK player, who was dropped on the eve of the Eagles’ departure for the USA’94 World Cup, warned the team not to underestimate any opponent in the Gabon 2017 qualifiers.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group C alongside record seven-time champions Egypt, Tanzania and Chad.
Semitoje fears minnows Chad and Tanzania could spring a surprise in the Gabon 2017 qualifiers and urged the Eagles not to underrate them.
He said, “We shouldn’t focus on Egypt and underrate Chad and Tanzania. We should treat our game against Chad (on June 13) like a cup final.
“We underrated Congo in our first game in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Calabar and lost 3-2.
“We should field our best players for the encounter. Our fixtures against Chad and Tanzania will be difficult because we don’t know much about them.
“Let’s not repeat past mistakes. We can’t afford to miss out on the next Africa Cup of Nations.”
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