Super Eagles interim coach, Stephen Keshi will definitely be feeling the strain of his hot-cold relationship with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as he waits to be called to sign a new contract or to go on an extended leave with his family in the USA. The Big Boss as Keshi is fondly called has said variously that he could not keep working with some members of the former board but some of those same members have made their way to the new one that will be presided over by Amaju Pinnick.
Before his election on Tuesday, Pinnick had spoken as a guest on a television programme during the 2014 World Cup match between Iran and Nigeria that: “I like Keshi as a person but the Eagles run up to the World cup and their first game has proven to me that Keshi has reached his limit.”
He then added; “He [Keshi] is a national hero, I celebrate him for all he has achieved with the team in such a short time but it appears he can’t move the Eagles forward unless he improves on his abilities.”
And he then delivered a scathing criticism in the Vanguard of the ‘Big Boss’, saying he was afraid to work with competent technocrats because of a fear of losing his job.
“We failed to go further in Brazil because our coaches did not adopt the scientific approach to winning matches. Football has gone beyond having a coaching crew on the bench.
“The trend now is to have the technical backroom staff, peopled by expert coaches, who win matches from the bench,” he added.
It now remains to be seen if Keshi will be looked at favourably in the NFF’s new dispensation.
