NFF rejects Keshi’s plea for assistants’ recall

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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in the competition but did not formally write to the Confederation of African Football to state that they had withdrawn from the competition set aside for players featuring in African leagues.

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Mike Adenuga buys brand new 2013 Range Rover & Toyota Camry for Stephen Keshi

Globacom chairman and Nigeria's second richest man, chief Mike Adenuga bought a brand new 2013 Range Rover and the latest Toyota Camry for Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi. The cars will be presented to Keshi on Monday April 8th at Globacom office in Victoria Island.

Aside from the cars, Stephen Keshi will also get a house in Abuja, Glo ambassadorship, $200, 000 cash and his salary for the next 2 years from Mike Adenuga. All this is for winning the 2013 Orange African Cup of Nations.

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SOCCER: Keshi snubs Yobo again, invites 30 players

  

Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has invited a total of 30 players for the team’s hectic mid-year schedule with the team captain Joseph Yobo still missing from the list. The Fenerbahce defender was not called for the match against Kenya last month – a development that brought about a public spar between the player and the coach.

The Nigeria Football Federation officials though has moved to settle the rift between them.

But while Yobo has still not been recalled, South Africa 2013 top scorer Emmanuel Emenike is back to the fold. He was also not called for the match in Calabar against Kenya but on account of the injury he sustained at the semi-final stage of the Africa Cup of Nations. Midfielder Kalu Uche also returns after 16 months on the sideline.

A notable fresh inclusion is Anthony Ujah who stars for FC Cologne of Germany. The striker is actually on loan to Cologne from Mainz of France.

The Eagles have a busy schedule of about 10 matches between the end of May and mid-July. The African champions have an international friendly against CONCACAF champions Mexico in Houston, Texas, USA on the last day of May, before two World Cup qualifying matches in Nairobi and Windhoek. Those games are billed to hold just before the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil.

Nigeria will play Tahiti, Uruguay and Spain in Brazil in the first round of the Confederations Cup. They will return to Africa for a 2014 African Nations Championship qualifying fixture against Cote d’Ivoire. The African Championship is strictly for African-based league players.

In all, there are four goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven midfielders and 11 strikers.

The delegation of 12 home-based players and staff will depart Abuja for the training camp in Nuremberg, Germany on May 15 while the overseas-based professionals are expected to join the team in Germany later.

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria); Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland, Nigeria)

Defenders: Efe Ambrose (Celtic, Scotland); Elderson Echiejile (Braga, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag, The Netherlands); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Ebenezer Odunlami (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); Benjamin Francis (Heartland, Nigeria); Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria)

Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea, England); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Fegor Ogude (Valerenga, Norway); John Ogu (Academica de Coimbra, Portugal); Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars, Nigeria); Sunday Mba (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Emeka Ezeh (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Victor Moses (Chelsea, England); Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow, Russia); Michael Babatunde (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine); Nnamdi Oduamadi (AS Varese 1910, Italy); Anthony Ujah (Cologne, Germany); Kalu Uche (Kasimpasa, Turkey); Gomo Onduku (Sharks, Nigeria); Obinna Nwachukwu (Heartland, Nigeria); Gambo Mohammed (Kano Pillars, Nigeria).

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Kenya came to frustrate Eagles –Keshi, Maigari

Stephen Keshi

Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has said the Harambee Stars of Kenya’s game plan was to frustrate the Eagles immediately they arrived in Nigeria during their Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier played on Saturday in Calabar.

The Kenyans, who haven’t beaten Nigeria in 13 previous meetings, almost recorded a shock win over the Eagles, when they took the lead in the first half at the UJ Esuene Stadium with the Nigerians managing to equalise in the last minute.

There was a harsh exchange of words between the Nigerian and Kenyan football authorities after the visitors alleged that they received a cold treatment by the Nigeria Football Federation ahead of the match.

But Keshi hailed his players for putting up a spirited battle in ensuring the game ended 1-1, adding that the draw was a wake-up call to the players and the technical crew.

“From the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, they started their complaints and they came to Calabar with the same attitude but we still held our own against them. Being champions is not an easy thing and I think we now know how to play like champions when next we meet them in 

Nairobi,” Keshi said while addressing the team’s players and officials after the encounter.

Also, NFF president, Aminu Maigari, expressed happiness that the East Africans’ frustration tactics was thwarted by the African champions.

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Eagles start training Tuesday the 12th of March

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi

The Super Eagles resumed camping in Abuja on Sunday for the first time after winning the African Cup in South Africa in February.

But coach Stephen Keshi said earlier training scheduled for Monday evening at the Practice Pitch of the Abuja National Stadium was shifted to Tuesday morning to enable the players to rest.

“Most of the invited players, apart from those of Enyimba and Rangers International, played on Sunday evening and they must be fatigued from hurrying to camp, so we have to allow them get some rest if we are to get the result that we want from them,” Keshi said.

At the last count, almost all the 24 players invited for camping had arrived including stand-in skipper, Chigozie Agbim, Warri Wolves defender Azubuike Egwueke and Sunshine Stars’ Godfrey Oboabona.

More players were still finding their way to camp as at press time.

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No regret dropping Osaze, others – Keshi •Says 1994 squad better

Stephen Keshi

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has said that he does not need all the good players in Nigeria to build a strong team and as such does not regret leaving out any player for the African cup.

Keshi dropped West Bromwich striker Osaze Odemwingie and Levante top scorer Obafemi Martins and kept faith in many players who had not appeared in any major international tournament at the senior level – some of them were picked from the Nigerian league.

The coach said most Nigerians did not understand why he dropped the players, noting that the present team has performed excellently without the players he rejected.

He said, “When we were in Portugal, there were lots of problems in Nigeria because I decided to drop some of my good players. Most Nigerians did not understand but I know why I dropped them. You don’t need all the good players to do the job for you in a tournament; sometimes what you need is strong mentality in the team.

“You need team players and those who will work for the team. There are lots of talents in this team but they need time to play together to understand themselves.”

The coach gave the impression that he was not under pressure when the team was struggling to qualify from the group stage of the 2013 Nations Cup. After the victory over Mali in the semi-final on Wednesday, Keshi said he was aware of the difficulties ahead when the team arrived in South Africa for the tournament.

He said, “When we started, it was a little bit difficult. We were just coming together for the first time. Most of the players had two or three days to work together during the qualifying series.

“But during the preparation for the competition, we worked hard. I knew that the first two or three games in the tournament might be hard for us because of fatigue and other difficult factors. In a competition like this, you never can tell what’s going to be. But the moment we got it right, that is it; we started winning because of the high level of discipline and commitment in the camp.”

Keshi said the present team were still not as good as the 1994 squad that won the Nations Cup in Tunisia and qualified for the World Cup. Keshi was the captain of the side but he highlighted the difference between the two teams.

“The 1994 squad took five years to build. This team is just five week-old. I don’t want people to get it wrong, we are just growing. Don’t think we are there yet. We are still adding and subtracting and if I see any player that will add quality to the team, I will bring him in,” the coach said.

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