Culled from This Day - Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has offered to quit the post if
Nigeria fails to qualify for the 2014 World Cup to be hosted by Brazil.
In a no-hold-bar interview with SuperSport Wednesday, the 2013 Africa
Cup of Nations winning coach insisted that should Malawi Flames beat
Nigeria to the final phase of qualification ticket in Calabar next
month, if his resignation from the Super Eagles job will make Nigerians
happy, he would not hesitate to throw in the towel.
“If my leaving the job is going to make Nigeria to do better, why not?
Nigeria is not the end of the world to coach or to work as there are a
lot of countries out there that looking for coaches so leaving the
Nigeria job is not a big deal.
“I came from somewhere so it’s not like I’m going to be here all my
life. It’s a privilege that I’m coaching Nigeria, it does not mean that,
If I don’t coach Nigeria anymore, then that’s the end of me, no,”
observed Keshi in a no hold back frank talk.
Keshi took the reins from former international, Samson Siasia who was
eased out following his failure to steer the Super Eagles to a place in
the finals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations co-hosted by Gabon and
Equatorial Guinea.
In less than 16 months, Keshi led the new-look Super Eagles to victory
at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Cup in South Africa against all odds,
even including five players from the domestic league in the
all-conquering team.
Asked how he is coping with the pressure of the job, given the fact
that most Nigerians rooted for the employment of a foreign coach after
Siasia failed to qualify Nigeria for the 2012 AFCON in Gabon and
Equatorial Guinea, Keshi admits the pressure has been much but that he
is coping.
“Well, you just try to stay focused on the job. Every Nigerian is a football coach and probably an expert in the game.
“They all have their own opinions and most of them believe they are
always right. You listen to them and if there’s anything to make out
from whatever they are telling you, you do it, but if there is none, you
just let it fall aside.
“The most important thing is to remain focused and know where you are
going. That is the essential element that I need to have, and that’s
what I’ve been doing,” observed the former Togo and Mali gaffer.
He also cleared air on the winning bonus row which caused the nation
embarrassment in Namibia shortly before Eagles’ trip to Brazil for the
Confederations Cup.
“The players were asking for their normal winning bonus which wasn’t
there. The disagreements started from Kenya (where the Super Eagles
defeated the Harambee Stars 1-0 on June 5).
"After winning in Kenya and after the game in Namibia, they wanted to
know what was going on with their bonuses and also get things clarified.
“Two players represented the team, in the meeting to get things sorted
out. They were not that satisfied (with the explanations of the
officials of the Nigeria Football Federation).
“So after the game against Namibia, they said they were not going to
Brazil,” explained the former Super Eagles libero and skipper.
He revealed that the entire matter was a major surprise to all the team
members “because after the game (against Namibia), the Nigerian
ambassador in Namibia gave us a wonderful dinner, everybody was happy
and after that the boys said 'we are not travelling tomorrow if this
thing is not resolved' and that made us to miss our flight.”
On the clamour for the return of the likes of Osaze Odemwingie, Victor
Anichebe and Joseph Yobo to the team, Keshi insists: “I have spoken
severally on this subject and I am now sounding like a broken record
now.
“I need to have players that want to play for the country, that want to
give everything for the country and that’s it, so it’s not about saying
I want to come, but how committed are you and how are you ready to go
along with the other players?
“Osaze is somebody that I admired a long time ago even when I was not a
national team coach from far wherever I’m watching the Super Eagles
play.
“He is a very good player and is still going to have his opportunity to
come back. That’s for sure. He will have his opportunity to show
Nigerians that he is here to serve his fatherland,” revealed Keshi.
On Anichebe, he said playing for the Eagles once more depends on the Everton striker.
“Victor Anichebe is just like any other Nigerian player that we want to see.
“I want to see him play for Nigeria, but everything depends on him. We
made several requests of him. We sent e-mails to the club and the club
promised us they will forward it to him.
“There was never a response to that we tried to contact him in person, but it was very difficult.
“If he will like to play for Nigeria again then I can come over and talk,” stressed the Illa-born ex international.
Despite discussing the matter with Mikel at the Confederations Cup in
Brazil with Mikel, Keshi is yet to get a feedback from the Everton
forward.
While Keshi is not ruling out the return of Yobo to the team due to the
fantastic pairing of Kenneth Omeruo and Godfrey Oboabona, he also
admits he wants the Fenerbahce defender to hit the century mark for the
Eagles.
“Yobo is going to come back to the team. I want to make sure that he gets his hundredth caps.
He’s a very good kid of mine. I made him captain in Namibia about 12
years ago, so he is my friend, he’s part of me,” concludes Keshi.
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