NFF to seek plan B, should negotiations with Keshi fail

By Albert Akota

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has admitted that contract negotiations with Stephen Keshi may drag on into September, when the Super Eagles begin their qualifiers for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Reports had it that contract negotiations with the ‘Big Boss’, as Keshi is called and the NFF may linger, given the list of demands that Keshi has, if he’s to continue as coach of the Africa champions.

NFF may be having alternative plans which includes but not restricted to Keshi taking temporary charge of the Eagles for their first qualifier against the Bees of Rwanda on September 5th, if contract talks are not settled before then.

And now, an executive member of the Nigeria football federation, ‘Deji Tinubu has admitted that talks between them and Keshi could stretch into when the qualifiers will begin.

“It’s possible that our discussions with Keshi could stretch into when we play our first qualifier, but we have made plans for such eventuality,” he said.

“We have a plan B, if negotiations with Keshi are not completed before the qualifiers. There is a plan in place to take care of that, and if it does happen that we didn’t conclude negotiations with him, then we’ll put the other plan in motion,” he said.

Tinubu also confirmed that they have sent a draft of the new contract terms to Keshi, who’s presently in the USA, for consideration and to either send a counter-draft or agreement but posited that they expect a counter-draft with Keshi’s own demands.

“We received a letter of acceptance from him on Monday, after we sent him a letter of intent last week. So now we have sent him a draft of the contract terms from our view, and we expect him to send either a counter-draft or an agreement notice.

Keshi is also expected to demand for a freer hand to lead the Super Eagles, without the ‘interference’ of the technical committee and also for travel tickets to and from for when he’s on leave or holiday to see his family in the USA.

But reports has it that the NFF are willing to agree to those terms, bar the salary increment. The NFF are understood to be offering an increment of N2million, which means Keshi should earn N7million and not the N10million he’s expected to ask for.