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Tag: keshi

  • KESHI BLASTS: Amaju is lying

    KESHI BLASTS: Amaju is lying

    Coach Stephen Keshi has fired at NFF boss Amaju Pinnick, insisting the federation believe they are doing him a favour by appointing him to lead Nigeria again but he is ready to walk away.

    There is no love lost between Keshi and NFF boss Pinnick and this was further underlined by the latest statements by the coach.

    “The NFF thinks without Nigerian football there is no other place to coach. This is a very wrong assumption,” fired Keshi.

    “I love to coach Nigeria, but they think they are doing us a favour because that is the message – that they are doing us a favour to appoint a Nigeria coach. But that is not true, if they don’t want us, we would go somewhere else and coach.”

    This week, Pinnick disclosed Keshi could resume as Nigeria coach should he agree on a new deal, which will pay him far less than what he received when he first headed the Super Eagles.

    Keshi also said the NFF are yet to pay him salaries for two months as well as the win bonus for the 3-1 home win over Sudan in a 2015 AFCON qualifier.

    “I heard also Amaju said he has paid us everything, that he is not owing us. It is a lie, big-time lie. He is owing us two months plus our winning bonus for the game against Sudan,” said the coach.

    “What is he talking about? Because I am keeping quiet, I don’t want to talk? Now if they want me to talk, I will start talking and let Nigerians know what is happening.

    “I will let Nigerians know what is happening. I don’t understand, how can Amaju, who says he is the president of Nigerian football, be lying to Nigerians? Is that how he wants to run Nigeria Football?

    “They are owing us money they have not paid and instead of him to say okay there is no money yet or something, he is telling everyone he has paid everything.”

  • Keshi can resume as Eagles coach Wednesday – Pinnick

    Keshi can resume as Eagles coach Wednesday – Pinnick

    The Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick, has disclosed that Stephen Keshi could resume work as Eagles coach on Wednesday should he agree on a new contract.

    Keshi’s initial three-year deal ended after he guided Nigeria to the Round of 16 at last year’s World Cup in Brazil and he has since been working without a contract, africanFootball.com reports.

    Pinnick said a new contract would be sent to Keshi on Tuesday.

    “We have concluded on the contract of Keshi. It should get to him by Tuesday (today) and if he is fine with it, he would begin work as early as Wednesday,” declared Pinnick.

    “We have taken this long because we do not want litigation. We had to look at everything that would protect him and protect the federation and would also be good for Nigeria.”

    On whether the NFF would fold its hands and watch Keshi head to Burkina Faso, Pinnick said, “He is a man that has a choice.

    “It would be up to him to choose. If what Burkina Faso would offer him is better that what we are offering you don’t expect him to stay, but that would be unfortunate.”

    Meanwhile, the board of the NFF will meet next week Tuesday in Abuja.

  • Keshi shorlisted

    Keshi shorlisted

    Nigerian Coach Stephen  Keshi has made the final  shortlist of candidates being considered for the vacant Burkina Faso national team coaching job.

    He was included in a three-man list released by the football federation of the country.

    The Burkinabe football association named Keshi as well as the duo of French-German Gernot Rohr, Serbian Milovan Rajevac as the possible replacements for the erstwhile handler of The Stallions, Paul Put.

    “The names of French-German Gernot Rohr, Serbian Milovan Rajevac and Nigerian Stephen Keshi have been selected by the Commission,” FBF officially announced.

    “The final choice for the national head coach will be made within a maximum of three weeks after the three candidates have been interviewed,” the national association added.

    Keshi in the past days confirmed being approached by the Burkinabe football association but the Big Boss was quick to state that he had not made up his mind whether to accept any offer thrown at him by the West African country.

    Keshi caught the fancy of many countries when he led Nigeria to continental glory at the 2013 AFCON, before reaching the knock-out stage of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 with the Super Eagles.

    The former Super Eagles captain has been locked in endless negotiations with the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) for a new contract after his former deal expired last June after the World Cup in Brazil.

    There are unconfirmed reports that a N120m two-year deal is set to be given to Keshi after the NFF Technical Committee recommended that he stays on the job as the Nigeria National team handler.

  • SUPER EAGLES JOB: Stephen Keshi OUT

    SUPER EAGLES JOB: Stephen Keshi OUT

    NIGERIA Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, has all but confirmed that the federation have finally parted ways with Stephen Keshi.

    Pinnick confirmed the status of Keshi on Thursday via a post on his social network page: “Getting a new coach and technical crew for the Super Eagles has been a sensitive issue, though I will say that negotiations are ongoing and, in a strict manner, that sooner than expected a new coach and technical crew will be announced to the Nigerian public.”

    Until this revelation by Pinnick, fans of the Super Eagles believed that Stephen Keshi and his crew, would continue to manage the team.

    This belief was reinforced when the Presidency reportedly forced the NFF to rescind their decision to drop the technical crew following the team’s inability to qualify for the African Nations Cup.

    However, the NFF may have finally resolved to go for a new coach.

    Daniel Amokachi and Ike Shorunmu – Super Eagles’ assisitant coaches – have managed the team in the absence of Keshi, who until this week was holidaying in the US.

  • Why Keshi will get new contract – Pinnick

    Why Keshi will get new contract – Pinnick

    NFF president Amaju Pinnick has said Stephen Keshi will be given a new contract because “he has won everything” and only needs to be supported to improve his capacity and that of the team.

    Keshi has yet to be given a new contract since his initial deal ran out after the World Cup in Brazil last year.

    “You will agree with me that Keshi has won everything; he just needs to be enhanced in terms of building his capacity and that is exactly what we intend to do,” said Pinnick.

    “It’s like when you are building a house and you feel that the house needs to be enhanced so you put other structures for enhancement and that’s what we are going to do.”

    He added: “Keshi is going to be offered a new contract. But in the contract we are going to have certain clauses working with the technical study group, working with the technical committee, working with the technical department.

    “And making sure in terms of player selection, there is science of players which means fitness and so many other things. So, all those are the things that are going to be embedded in the contract.

    “When they are embedded in the contract we are also looking at areas that will improve our performance. That when there is any window we will be able to send him on internship, attachment to various clubs in Europe. All those are things we are doing to enhance his capacity.”

    But the NFF executive committee has remained divided over a new deal for the coach with a section canvassing for Keshi to stay on in the hope they will finally gain the support of the government.

    In October, Keshi was “unanimously” sacked by the executive committee, but soon after he was re-instated with most reports claiming that this was at the instance of the country’s President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Keshi has been variously linked with other countries with Equatorial Guinea the latest reported to be keen to hire him, but they eventually settled for the Argentine Esteban Becker to lead them at the Nations Cup, which starts on Saturday.

  • We made Keshi a new offer – Pinnick

    We made Keshi a new offer – Pinnick

    President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, has confirmed that they have begun contract talks with out-of-contract Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi.

    Keshi’s contract ended after Nigeria’s exit at the last World Cup in Brazil and even though he handled the team albeit on a temporary basis during Nigeria’s ill-fated Africa Cup of Nations 2015 qualifying campaign, the Glass House had yet to offer him fresh terms.

    However, weeks after confirming that Keshi would continue as the Super Eagles coach, Pinnick has now confirmed that they have started contract talks with the “Big Boss.”

    “We have a very peculiar nature in Nigeria and we don’t want a situation where we run into problems but we have made an offer to him and he says he doesn’t like it,” Pinnick told sl10.ng.

    “He has sent it back to us and it will go back to our legal department and they’ll look at the implications and we shall insert other clauses to see if he will accept them.

    “So to us, we want to be very thorough and that is why it is taking this long but I can assure you that very soon that everything about the technical crew will come to an end.”

    The Pinnick led NFF had earlier sacked Keshi after Nigeria defeated Sudan 3-1 during the 2015 AFCON qualifiers, but the board was forced to reinstate him after coming under serious pressure and now seem to be on the verge of re-signing the former Nigeria captain to what is believed to be a four year contract worth N84million.

  • Keshi dislikes me – Obafemi Martins

    Keshi dislikes me – Obafemi Martins

    Seattle Sounders star striker, Obafemi Martins, has said out-of-contact Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi, has overlooked him because he does not like him.

    “I don’t think he likes me, that’s all,” africanFootball.com quoted Martins as saying on Monday.

    “I don’t have any issues with him. I respect him as a coach, but I think Keshi doesn’t like me.”

    The former Inter Milan and Birmingham City striker, who scored 17 goals Seattle Sounders, was one of three nominees for MLS Most Valuable Player for 2014 and helped lead the Sounders to its most successful MLS season yet.

    But despite Martins ’recent exploits, Keshi preferred to work with several other strikers of lower standard.

  • Keshi set for Eq. Guinea job

    Keshi set for Eq. Guinea job

    Coach Stephen Keshi is  now in pole position to lead hosts Equatorial Guinea in the 2015 AFCON after the island-country did not renew the coaching contract of the Spaniard Andoni Goikoetxea.

    Media reports now suggest that Keshi, who has yet to be given a new contract by Nigeria after it ran out after the World Cup in Brazil, is ahead of former Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac to lead the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosts at the tournament, which gets underway on January 17.

    Keshi is the front runner, according to Afrik-Foot, and has reopened serious talks with the Equatorial Guinea Football Association. This discussion is believed to have been the reason Goikoetxea was axed.

    The ‘Big Boss’ was at the draw for AFCON 2015 in Equatorial Guinea late last year to spark off speculations about his future.

    He led Nigeria to win the 2013 AFCON in South Africa, but he failed to qualify the same team for this year’s tournament with top coaches and the majority of the fans demanding he walk away from the Super Eagles.

    It is believed that his main backer is a member of the First Family in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. Both he and his agent have long claimed the AFCON hosts are keen on offering the coach a contract.

    The Nzalang National, who are currently in Portugal preparing for the Nations Cup, are yet to announce a final squad for the competition.

  • Pinnick: Keshi must work with our terms

    Pinnick: Keshi must work with our terms

    President of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) Amaju Pinnick has stated that out-of-contract Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi will only continue in his position as coach of the team unless he agree to the terms of the Federation.

    Amaju, who was on Channels’ TV sports programme, Sports Tonight on Tuesday insisted that Keshi must work in tandem with the technical study group to revamp the squad after their inabilty to defend their 2013 AFCON title in South Africa.

    “I don’t think we have any issues keeping Keshi. But he must agree to our terms,” he said.

    “Keshi will be an integral part of the scheme if he agrees on the deal. And he will have to work with the technical study group headed by Jay Jay Okocha to scrutinise the players welfare, players attitude and fitness level,” Pinnick revealed.

    “We are talking football science here. We also have to consider what we can accommodate and we have to consider if he can work with our technical study group, there are so many factors. A contract is not signed overnight because we don’t just want to sign any contract with him,” he reckoned.

    Pinnick, however, went on to debunk reports that he  is  under pressure to retain Keshi, adding that he has been in constant touch with Keshi, but of his own will.

  • Keshi to get N168m Eagles contract

    Keshi to get N168m Eagles contract

    Stephen Keshi will remain Super Eagles Chief Coach until 2016, after tacitly accepting a two-year deal worth N168million.

    Sportinglife can reveal that the Big Boss will be paid N7million monthly but not much was divulged to this paper when we sought to know when the signing ceremony would be held.

    Nigeria’s senior national team’s chief coach Stephen Keshi is playing host to his first daughter (names witheld) in Benin City, in partial fulfillment of the kid’s wish to visit Nigeria for the first time, Sportinglife can reveal exclusively.

    Sportinglife gathered from those who know the Big Boss that his daughter has been in Nigeria since last week, which explains why the Super Eagles chief coach shelved his plans to return to California for holidays.

    Indeed, Keshi could accompany his daughter back to the United States early next year, after she must have enjoyed her stay with her daddy, who holds her dear to his heart and listens to her as she is his biggest critic.

    Interestingly, Sportinglife scooped that one of Keshi’s assistant coaches Valrie may be heading to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland to demand for his two-year salaries.

    But Valrie is holding back on the decision to drag NFF to CAS because he truly wants to continue the job as one of the Eagles assistant coaches and also used the platform to ask for the payment of his wages.