Stephen Keshi’s future as Nigeria
coach hangs in the balance with a
decision on whether he stays on
only likely to come in the days
before the team’s next crunch
game.
The 52-year-old has agreed to
renew his contract and even
handled the Super Eagles’ first two
matches in the competition
without a new deal after the
intervention of Nigeria’s sports
minister.
But talks with the Nigeria Football
Federation (NFF) ran cold because
of the leadership wrangles at the
association that prompted a league
boycott and saw Fifa threaten a
ban from international
competition.
“It is up to the NFF to decide who
handles the Eagles,” said Patrick
Omorodion, spokesman for sports
minister Tammy Danagogo.
“The minister only requested that
Keshi should handle the two
games, since there was a vacuum.”
Fifa’s decision not to ban Nigeria
was conditional on new elections
being held for the NFF
management within the shortest
possible timeframe.
A vote has been set for September
30 — 10 days before Nigeria, with
only one point from two games,
take on Sudan in a must-win
Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
But whether Keshi stays in charge
is not a given, raising the prospect
of another troubled build-up. “It is
only fair that the new NFF
leadership be saddled with the
responsibility of deciding the fate
of Keshi,” said one senior official,
who asked not to be identified.
