The Nation Newspaper

Tag: keshi

  • Ex LMC boss, Irabor beats Odegbami, Keshi to Excellence Award

    Pioneer Chairman of  the Board of the League Management Company (LMC), Hon. Nduka Irabor was last night honoured as the Sports Personality of the Year at the Excellence Recognition Awards organised by Global Excellence magazine, a leading entertainment and lifestyle publication.

    Irabor beat off competition from two former Super Eagles captains, Segun Odegbami and Stephen Keshi who were nominated for the awards. Keshi was the Super Eagles coach to the World Cup in Brazil 2014 and failed to qualify the country for the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.

    According to the organisers in the citation read before the presentation of the award plaque, “Hon Irabor’s was the overwhelming choice of the award’s panel for his contributions to the reform of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) which has resulted to improved credibility, increased earning for clubs and acceptable results”.

    The citation also attributed the successes of the league reforms to the former LMC Chairman’s leadership style which demonstrates a relentless pursuit of excellence that sometimes may not be agreeable to some but always achieving desirable outcome. Irabor’s contributions to journalism as the pioneer editor of the Guardian Express and his performance as a spokesperson for the Federal Government were tracked in illustrating his persistent pursuit of excellence.

    In his response, Irabor who was represented on the occasion by the LMC Head of Special Projects, Harry Iwuala thanked the organisers for the recognition and attributed the success to the collective effort of the LMC Board.

    “I want to first thank the organisers for recognising that there has been reforms which has improved the league. Indeed this award is a testimony to the fact that when you perform well, Nigerians will recognise your effort.

    “We worked as a team to make the league what you have come to commend and we are conscious of the fact that it is not yet a finished product. We are proud of what we have done but it is still work in progress. We will continue to give it our best and believe that with the concerted effort of all Nigerians, we will bequeath a viable league that will provide more job opportunities and enhanced living,” he said.

    The award was presented by popular actress, Abiola Atanda also known as Madam Kofo and Barrister Tunde Braimah, a former Chairman of Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos. The ceremony was held at the Balmoral Event Center.

  • DEADLOCKED EAGLES CONTRACT: Keshi, NFF to meet again

    DEADLOCKED EAGLES CONTRACT: Keshi, NFF to meet again

    • Meeting slated for Monday or Tuesday
    • Big Boss’ daughter weds in Benin next week Saturday
    • Negotiator says Big Boss can’t dictate to Glasshouse chiefs

    A key negotiator in Wednesday’s negotiations between out-of-contract Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi and the three-man NFF team has revealed exclusively to Sportinglife that the tactican has accepted to work with the terms placed before him at the session.

    The negotiator, who was optimistic about Keshi kowtowing to the federation stated categorically that the coach was told that he could not dictate what he wanted pointing out that: “the session went well but it is up to the coach to get back to us on a few issues.”

    Sportinglife scooped further that the NFF negotiators would meet with Keshi, his manager and lawyer either on Monday or Tuesday to formally tidy up all the details of the contract or shake hands and walk their different ways.

    Sportinglife can report authoritatively that Keshi may not attend the Monday or Tuesday meeting because his eldest daughter’s wedding will hold in Benin City on Saturday, March 21.

    Keshi would be engaged in the logisitics of ensuring that the daughter’s marriage is a huge success, given the top level of guests that he would be playing host to from Nigeria, Europe, the Americas and the Diaspora.

  • Keshi, FF’s contract talk deadlocked

    Keshi, FF’s contract talk deadlocked

    The much awaited signing of a new Super Eagles Chief Coach job by Stephen Keshi was stalemated as the three-man panel set up by the Nigeria Football Federation led by Chief Felix Agu Anyansi couldn’t conclude talks on the the much talked about contrtact.

    “Well  today’s (Wednesday) meeting was progressive but it’s an ongoing meeting and in few days we will conclude,” Anyansi told sports journalists that covered the meeting that started 3.30pm and ended 7.15pm yesterday

    The atmosphere, however, looked relaxed as supported by Anyansi. “You see that everybody is laughing and looked relaxed. So all is well. We will end the talks in a matter of days as I told you,” Anyansi said.

    Keshi flanked by his lawyer and brother-in-law/manager Emmanuel Ado were beaming with smiles told the sports reporters on ground. “I can’t say anything to you guys now. Please meet Chief Felix Anyansi, he is the one that can brief you on this matter,” Keshi said.

    Anyansi also couldn’t answer the question on who will draft the list of the Super Eagles’ players that would confront Bolivia when asked whether Keshi or NFF would do it. Anyansi simply answered: “I won’t be able to answer that question now, gentlemen of the press.”

  • Keshi knows fate next week

    Keshi knows fate next week

    First vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Seyi Akinwunmi has rejected suggestions they aren’t bold enough to dispense with the services of Stephen Keshi, and says they will make a decision next week when the executive board meets in Abuja.

    The NFF have come under attacks from different quarters, the latest coming from the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives, where members of the National Assembly have chided the board of the NFF-led by Amaju Pinnick of lacking the balls to ‘sack’ Stephen Keshi.

    A member of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri had on Monday, said the NFF was ‘celebrating failure’ by offering a new contract to Keshi, and on Tuesday, a member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Godfrey Gaiya said there was no justification in offering fresh terms to Keshi, insisting that the ‘Big Boss’ has failed the country.

    But in defense of the GlassHouse, Akinwunmi has rejected such suggestions, and says the NFF will make a decision on the matter after holding a series of meetings within the next couple of weeks, starting today.

    “It’s not like we are not bold, but we have to make a good decision because five years from now, people will make reference to this.

    “We will have a series of meetings over the next fortnight, starting from Wednesday. The technical, marketing, and legal committees will meet with Stephen Keshi and his camp,” Akinwunmi said.

    He also added that there will be a board meeting of the NFF within the next couple of weeks.

    “There’ll also be a board meeting within the next few weeks and we will make a final decision,” he added.

  • The NFF-Keshi shenanigans

    The NFF-Keshi shenanigans

    •So sad, Nigeria’s football authorities can’t seem to hire a coach!

    Nigeria’s senior football team, the Super Eagles, has been without a coach for nearly six months running. What this means is that Nigeria has no national football coach, that face of every nation’s football prowess and pride. It also means that Nigeria’s foot-balling powerhouse, the senior team, has been circumscribed for so long, leaving it in disarray and in retreat. Friendly matches with Brazil, South Africa and Ghana have been outside our ken since then.

    If football had not become one of the most significant pastimes of not only the world youth but, the entire humanity, this would be no matter of concern. But football has not only become modern man’s most loved game, it is also one of his biggest businesses. Not the least, it is one of the most structured and gainful ways of engaging today’s youth. Football, therefore, is gradually becoming among the most important national strategic assets and serious nations are not leaving anything to chance in maximising its potentials.

    As in all other spheres of endeavour, Nigeria’s leadership does not seem to pay attention to matters, weighty or otherwise. In fact we tend to wonder whether our government knows the difference or cares at that.

    This must explain why over six months after Nigeria’s Super Eagles disgracefully failed to qualify for the last African Cup of Nations (ACN), a tournament in which she was defending champions, she still cannot manage to install a coach. Most other countries of Africa that needed to change their coaches had done so in transparent, structured and competitive processes.

    But if Nigeria was a land of aberrations, our football house under the aegis of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is the operational template of that morass. It is a house of intrigues and endless shenanigans. It has long become the migraine of a multitudinous Nigerian football lovers and the nemesis of even the world football house, FIFA. Its misbehaviour has neither limits nor methods.

    After its failure at the Nations Cup, South Africa promptly recruited another coach, an open process in which even out-of-favour Nigeria’s coach, Stephen Keshi participated. It is the same report with Burkina Faso. She accomplished hers barely two weeks after the close of the Nation’s Cup last February.

    After leading the Super Eagles to a glorious Nations Cup victory in South Africa in 2013, Keshi has accomplished little since then and the team has been in the doldrums. It is obvious that Nigerians do not want him any longer and indeed, would love to pave a new path. But the NFF always embroiled in self-serving intrigues has shied to do the right thing.

    Need we reiterate the importance of the round leather game and the significance of a nation’s senior coach to the NFF? Need we remind them that without a respected and quality senior national coach, it would be difficult to make real progress in a nation’s football? A national coach is the face and icon of a country. Successful, trophy-winning ones are national heroes, more loved than presidents.

    We appeal to the folks at the NFF to stop making a laughing stock of our great foot-balling nation; they should stop fooling around and do the right thing. There are standard templates for employing national coaches across the world. If they need our advice, they should stand Keshi down immediately and call for applications from all over the world, including Nigeria. Including Keshi! A technical panel would assess and pick the best that fits our requirements, terms and conditions.

    This process is so simple; as simple as ABC and it can be done in two weeks flat!

  • Keshi hasn’t rejected new deal

    Keshi hasn’t rejected new deal

    Coach  Stephen  Keshi’s agent Emmanuel Addo has rubbished a report that his client has rejected the contract offered him by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    “It’s not true. I didn’t grant any interview to anyone or any wire agency on the contract,” a very furious Addo declared.

    “This is sickening, very sad and upsetting my stomach.”

    Keshi has been far from happy with the contract he described as a “slave contract”, but a final decision on whether to accept it or not has not yet been taken.

    Addo further clarified to AfricanFootball.com: “This is a contract and you need to go through it thoroughly.

    “The NFF expects us to revert to them on the contract and we have handed it to our lawyers to look at it. And a report from them would be sent to us before we respond to the NFF and I think that is the way to go.”

    He added: “Anyone that has spoken privately to me knows my position on the contract but you know everybody tailors a contract to suit them, so I think that is what the NFF did and it’s up to us to now look at it make out points known and if it does not work, we shake hands and part ways.”

    Meanwhile Ado has demanded for an apology from online portal SL10.ng on the false report which he said has embarrassed his person.

    A copy of the letter which was addressed to the website’s editor in which Ado claimed never to have spoken to any of its reporters was obtained by SportingLife.

    “I must let you know that I am scandalized by the story on your website attributed to me that he (Keshi) has rejected the contract offered him by the Nigeria Football Federation. Sir, I didn’t speak to your reporter.

    “I demand an apology and an immediate refutal.This story has embarrassed my person and my client,” read the letter.

  • Anyansi blasts Keshi

    Anyansi blasts Keshi

    Says Big Boss should walk away if not interested

    THE Nigeria Football Federation(NFF)’s Technical and Development Committee Chairman, Felix Anyansi Agwu has blasted the out of contract Super Eagles’ boss, Stephen Keshi for resorting to the media to iron out his terms of contract instead of opening negotiation with his employers.

    Anyansi Agwu insisted that the Big Boss should have done the most honourable thing which is to decline the offer presented to him instead of playing demi-god and assuming that he is bigger than those that have offered him the job.

    In an exclusive chat with SportingLife from Cotonou on telephone, Anyansi warned that it was imperative for the NFF to give their conditions of service and that it behoves on Keshi and his advisors to peruse the contract terms and come back to the Football House for negotiation instead of the present norm of resorting to the media.

    He said the NFF had had enough of Keshi and that the contract terms enshrined in his new job offer are sacrosanct and that the Big Boss could do the honourable thing and take a bow and leave instead of trying to whip sympathy from Nigerians.

    Anyansi disclosed that Keshi had to bring himself under the control of his employers and that if he feels he is bigger than them he should not bother taking the job and should forget about it instead of the ‘noise’ everywhere about his new contract.

    “I am tired of talking about the terms we have stipulated to Keshi in the new contract offer to him but I have to react once again so that Keshi will be able to caution himself and know that he is not bigger than Nigeria or the NFF.

    “For Keshi to work with the NFF he needs to bring himself down and strive to get good advisors because the current ones he has are not doing him any good at all. If you are not satisfied with something is it not best for you to approach those that gave you the stipulation and work at negotiating your way out?

    “Keshi never did that. He went to the pages of the newspapers to express his dissatisfaction with the contract offer. Is that the medium through which he got the job offer? He is thinking that he is bigger than Nigeria or the NFF. That is a lie and for him to work with us he needs to put himself under our control.

    “We are not saying that he should not seek for negotiation, but the way he is going about it shows that he only has bad advisors around him. If he is not satisfied with what we have stipulated in the new contract offer why can’t he take the bold step of declining it and keep quiet. Is he the only person in the country that will be embarrassing everyone via the media?” Anyansi told SportingLife from Cotonou.

  • Keshi gets 14-day ULTIMATUM

    Keshi gets 14-day ULTIMATUM

    •Big Boss must submit a reply on March 12 or…
    •NFF insists on all terms in new deal

    Former Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has been given 14 days ultimatum to respond to the terms of the new deal sent to him by eggheads of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), if he wants to keep the job.

    Going by the 14-day ultimatum, it means that the NFF will from the midnight of March 12, seek the services of another tactician to handle the team for its two international friendlies against Bolivia in Uyo on March 26 and Black Stars of Ghana in London on March 29.

    Keshi was given the contract details on Wednesday, March 25 by the Eagles team secretary Dayo Enebi and the coach told the NFF president Melvin Amaju Pinnick on telephone on Thursday that it is a slavish deal, without saying categorically if he would accept or reject it.

    Sportinglife exclusively gathered that NFF chiefs are not prepared to shift grounds on any of the clauses inserted in the new deal, although the Big Boss has  vowed not to work with the federation’s technical director, he also won’t accept any working list of players to invite for the country’s matches and he would only be answerable to the body’s president Melvin Amaju Pinnick.

    Sportinglife scooped further that Keshi and Amaju talked on Thursday night and the president told the Big Boss that he should be ready to work within the terms of the new deal if he hopes to retain the job.

    Indeed, Amaju challenged the Big Boss to name any country where the practice of the head coach of the national team reports to the federation’s president, insisting that his role at the NFF is purely for administrative matters and not technical.

    Whispers from the Glasshouse on Friday disclosed that Pinnick confronted Keshi with a recorded tape where he described the NFF president as a liar for telling Nigerians that he had been paid all his entitlements.

    Not much was divulged to Sportinglife about what transpired from the discussion except that the NFF president was disappointed that the coach couldn’t own up to the issue when he asked the Big Boss about it.

  • Chukwu roars: Eagles’ job not Keshi’s birthright

    Chukwu roars: Eagles’ job not Keshi’s birthright

    Former Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu, has asserted that the side’s head coach is not a birthright or preserve for former handler, Stephen Keshi.

    The out-of-contract Eagles gaffer on Wednesday lost his concerted bid for the Burkina Faso hot job as the 2013 AFCON runners-up preferred the German, Gernot Rohr for the Stallions.

    The Amaju Pinnick led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive board has not been firm on whether or not to offer the former Mali and Togo gaffer a new contract.

    Chukwu said the NFF should be firm and prompt on the Eagles job and stop the hide and seek game with the former Nigerian strongman.

    “NFF should stop using Keshi as excuse for their indecision on Super Eagles coaching job. It’s wrong for the NFF to be waiting on Burkina Faso to name a coach before deciding whether or not to hand Keshi a new contract. Super Eagles job is not an exclusive or permanent work place for Stephen Keshi or any other coach.

    “I don’t think Keshi is really too heavy a burden for the football house to deal with rather they’re just trying to make something out of nothing. If truly they want Keshi they should go ahead and hand him a new contract and if they don’t want him they should forthwith tell Keshi we don’t want you.

    “If they offer Keshi a new contract all good and fine, at least, the side will have focus and the job at hand can get off the ground immediately,” said the former Harambee Stars coach to supersport.com.

    Keshi-tutored Eagles failed to qualify for the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

  • Burkina Faso dump Keshi

    Burkina Faso dump Keshi

    • Appoint French-German Gernot Rohr

    Stephen Keshi will not  be the next coach of Burkina Faso according to media reports out of the West African country as Gernot Rohr has been given the job.

    The 61-year-old Rohr will thus replace Belgian Paul Put, who was fired after a disappointing 2015 AFCON campaign in Equatorial Guinea. The vastly experienced coach has previously handled Gabon and Niger.

    Keshi has handled Togo and Mali. He is yet to finalise a new deal with Nigeria after his initial three-year contract ended after the World Cup in Brazil last year.

    After several weeks of speculations, Keshi admitted his agent had talks with Burkina Faso over the vacant national team top post.

    “My agent is talking with them (Burkina Faso). We are all professional coaches. We cannot stay in one place and say okay a job is going to come,” the former Nigeria skipper had said.