The Coach of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi, has again reiterated his desire to build a formidable team for the country and insists that this will not change regardless of the challenges facing him.
The recent friendly against the El Tri of Mexico has given Keshi another chance to take a look at his squad as he prepares to make his final selection for the Brazil 2014 World Cup.
Despite calls from various quarters, the ‘Big Boss’ insists he won’t budge into selecting just anyone into the squad but all will be on merit.
“My goal is to make Nigerians happy and build a strong national team for them,” he said.
The former Togo coach also revealed that there is mutual respect in camp between him and the players, refuting insinuations from some quarters about his high-handedness.
His well-documented issues with Ikechukwu Uche and Peter Odemwingie have been in the spotlight, as the build-up to the World Cup reaches a crescendo, but the former NNB player feels there isn’t anything to bother about.
“If I respect you, won’t you respect me back? There is a fine line between a coach and a player,” he said.
“These boys look up to me. They see me as a role model. I have to live up to that. I have to show them that.”
Keshi will have another chance to access his players, when the Super Eagles face Scotland in an international friendly at Fulham’s Craven Cottage on 28 May.
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