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The
Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday turned down the plea by Super
Eagles coach Stephen Keshi for his assistant who were relieved of their
positions last month to be reinstated. Keshi’s plea was part of the
discussion at the meeting held in the office of the Minister of Sports
Bolaji Abdullahi with the NFF to chart a fresh course after weeks of
animosity between both sides.
On Tuesday, NFF top officials, led by
their president Aminu Maigari, and Keshi met for about three hours at
the instant of the minister to iron out several disagreements that made
huge headlines since Nigeria won the African cup in February. The PUNCH
learnt on authority that Keshi who apologised to the minister and the
NFF for his role in the disagreements asked for the recall of Sylvanus
Okpala and Valare Houandinou as part of his own bargain. Both assistants
were sacked by the NFF while Keshi was on break in the United States as
the federation insisted it was needed as cost-saving measure.
An official who spoke with our
correspondent on the condition of anonymity because he was not
authorised to speak on the matter confirmed that the sacking of Okpala
and Houandinou was raised at the meeting.
He said, “Keshi raised the matter with
the hope that the NFF could concede to him and it was discussed
extensively but it was turned down. The NFF officials explained that it
was a very tough decision for them, that they had no choice but to stand
on it if the national teams are to be properly run. They made it clear
they were not going back on that decision to cut down on the backroom
staff.”
On Wednesday the Executive Committee of
the NFF led by Maigari met in Abuja and approved the recommendation of
the Technical Sub-Committee for the appointment of Shaibu Amodu as
national technical director. The appointments of Kashimawo Laloko and
James Peters as his assistants were also approved.
The NFF also resolved that Nigeria will
now participate in the qualifying series for the 2014 African Nations
Championship “in order to encourage and give opportunity to home-based
professional players who have been part of coach Stephen Keshi’s
rebuilding process all along.”
NFF had announced last month that
Nigeria would no longer participate in the competition but did not
formally write to the Confederation of African Football to state that
they had withdrawn from the competition set aside for players featuring
in African leagues.
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