Keshi Reacts To Dismissal As Head Coach Of Nigeria's Super Eagles
Less than 24 hours after he was relieved of his post as the head coach of
the Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi has said it is time for him to move
on.
“It is about time for me to move on, my dear. This
is not the end of the world for me,” Keshi
told
Premium Times moments after he was dismissed as the coach of the Eagles.
It
would be recalled that the former Togo and Mali coach was booed by football fan
when he stepped into the national stadium in Abuja during Nigeria versus Sudan
2015 Nations Cup qualifier on Wednesday.
Former Super Eagles’ coach,
Stephen Keshi
The
match ended 3-1 in favour of the Super Eagles.
Keshi
was asked to go after beating Sudan 3-1 on Wednesday in Abuja.
The
win came after Nigeria had lost two of its previous encounters and had a draw
in the qualifying rounds, placing it in doubtful position of qualifying for the
football show piece.
Keshi,
who took the Super Eagles job four years ago, won the 2013 African Cup of
Nations, AFCON, in South Africa and led the team to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and
the 2014 Confederations Cup, both held in Brazil.
However,
the Nigerian senior team has been struggling to qualify for the 2015 AFCON
having suffered two defeats against Congo and Sudan.
Keshi
has been criticised for the calibre of players he has been inviting for
national assignment especially those he selected for the 2014 World Cup.
Keshi
assistants, Daniel Amokachi and Ike Shorounmu, are expected to proceed for a coaching
course, fully funded by the NFF in any country of their choice.
Meanwhile, former
Green Eagles player Adokie Amaiesimaka, on Thursday said that the dismissal of
Keshi-led technical crew will not change anything in the Super Eagles.
“We have had 14 coaches since France 1998, does it
mean that we do not have qualified coaches that can transform the team?
“Sacking Keshi and his crew does not change a
thing; how do we expect Keshi to perform magic overnight, our problem did not
start today.
“At the senior national level we should have elite
players from the local league, but since Clement Westerhof, we have stopped
producing players discovered from our league.
“The crop of players we produce these days shows
the level of decline of our football,” Amaiesimaka said.
The
former national team player advised the NFA to focus on the development of
football at the grassroots in order the halt the current slide in the
performance of the Super Eagles
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