A tale of bad administration in NFF; from frying pan to fire!

The Nigeria Football Federation has announced the sack of Stephen Keshi as coach of the Super Eagles early on Thursday morning. He will be replaced, alongside his assistants Daniel Amokachi and Ike Shorunmu, by a consortium of local coaches led by former coach Amodu Shaibu who will handle the team’s remaining Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches until a substantive trainer is employed. Keshi’s job had come under intense scrutiny since the start of the qualifiers in September when the team lost 3-2 to Congo at home before picking one point in a draw against South Africa in Cape Town. A further defeat in Khartoum to Sudan made his tenure look like coming to an inglorious end after a fairy tale year where he led the Super Eagles to victory at the 2013 Afcon in South Africa.

Keshi led the Eagles to the AFCON title in 2013 in South Africa and he was in charge of the team to the 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup both held in Brazil. He also supervised the CHAN Eagles to a bronze medal in their maiden appearance in the 2014 African Nations Championship held in South Africa. It was a competition meant for players who ply their trade in their domestic leagues. He led the CHAN Eagles to qualify for the competition also after the country had failed to pick a ticket for the past two editions.

The Big Boss also secured the Eagles’ first victory at the World Cup since France 1998 and it was during his reign that Nigeria picked a ticket to the second round of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after 16 years.

 In an interview with Goal, the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winner who is now a lawyer Amasiemaka, said the NFF decision came at a wrong time questioning what the Amaju Pinnick led-board have it in mind to accomplish.

"Well, that is what happens to coaches, they are employed and fired. But in this particular case, I don’t know what Pinnick’s board intends to achieve, It really baffles me because if they had relieved Keshi of his appointment when we lost to Sudan in Khartoum, probably it would have made sense. Sacking him after yesterday’s victory doesn’t really make much sense it appears to me that the decision had been taken long before yesterday. The details of the communiqué would suggest that the decision to remove him had been taken before yesterday [against Sudan]".

He also frowned at the remark by the Nigeria football house telling the former Mali and Togo national team handler to go for more training, claiming it was an iniquitous remark.

"Second, it’s a good thing because learning is continuous process but to suggest Keshi and his assistants should go for further training is degrading. It was not a fair comment. Keshi is not a bad coach and further training is a good thing but in this circumstance, it portrays him as a bad coach. He is one of the best coaches in the world".

What a decision to make at this crucial point of qualifications where we have a little glimmer of hope.