Tag: Stephen Keshi

Serbia-based defender, Ugo Ukah, has said he was not shocked Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2015 African Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea because the country’s best players are not playing for the team.

The FK Čukarički of Serbia central defender, who has been capped once by Nigeria, questioned the yardsticks coach Stephen Keshi used to call up players and why he benched players who would have helped Nigeria on match day, africanFootball.com reports.

“I was not surprised that my darling country Nigeria did not qualify to defend the Nations Cup won just last year.

“This is because there are better players out there than the ones who are playing for Nigeria right now and so they deserve a chance to prove themselves in the national team,” Ukah told africanFootball.com.

He questioned why Sone Aluko, who has been in good form for his English Premier League side Hull City, was left on the bench when the Eagles needed to score goals and win the game.

“Aluko that has been doing great in his club Hull City has not been well used in the Super Eagles. A nation like Nigeria cannot afford to make such mistakes anymore,” he argued.

“It is time things got back to ‘normal’ in Nigeria for players who are doing well to be called up without any sentiments.

“Where are the players who won the AFCON last year in South Africa? They don’t know how to play anymore?

“There is a right-back doing well in Norway over the years, Akeem Latifu, he never geo a look-in, rather the coach has preferred playing a makeshift right-back who always causes problem for the team.

“That’s what’s going on in Nigeria and until things are done right way, we will not achieve anything againm,” he stated.

Ukah also made a case for himself, saying there is no reason he has only been capped once by his country.

“I am doing really well now and so it is very disappointing to be ignored like that and seeing what is going on in the team without being able to help.

“But hopefully things will change. If somebody else will come, I hope the selection and scouting for the best Nigerian players in the world will be improved to guarantee constant high level for the Super Eagles.

“If Keshi will stay, I hope he will try to change things and make them better because for sure he is a great coach and has the knowledge to do that because he has proved that before.”

Stephen Keshi been asked to return and complete the rest of the African Nations Cup qualifiers with the Super Eagles, Goal reports.

Nigeria plays Congo and South Africa next month in the last two AFCON qualifiers.

The website reports that Super Eagles’ Media Officer, Toyin Ibitoye, on Thursday morning tweeted that Keshi is set to return to his job.

Goal gathered that Keshi has been asked to return to his post as part of reconciliatory moves in the Nigeria Football Federation as ordered by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The President has also asked the Chris Giwa faction to withdraw its case from court to ensure that Nigeria is not banned by FIFA.

However, the NFF is yet to release any official statement.

Keshi was sacked on October 16, a day after the Super Eagles defeated Sudan 3-1 in Abuja, by the Amaju Pinnick-led board of the NFF who recalled former coach, Shaibu Amodu, in an interim capacity.

The African champions had won just one out of four qualifying matches and fans were forced to ask for the coach’s sack.

Ex- Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has expressed interest in the vacant Ghana coaching coach.

The Ghana Football Association has already shortlisted and interviewed three European coaches for the vacant job.

But Keshi wants to gatecrash the process and land his dream job after he was sacked by the Nigeria Football Federation this month.

“Yes, I would like to coach the Black Stars. It will be a dream come true.

“Ghana is one of the biggest teams in Africa and I will be very happy to have the chance to coach Ghana.

“Ghana is like home and I have a lot of respect for Ghanaian players.

“Ghana is different from any other African country and I am ready to come and coach the Black Stars,” africanFootball.com quoted the former Eagles captain as saying on Accra-based Happy FM Monday.

Keshi led Nigeria to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa and guided the team to reach the round 16 at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

Former Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, is expected in Ethiopia this week to finalise discussions with the country’s FA on the vacant national team job, africanFootball.com reports.

A close source in the Ethiopian FA, who did not want to be identified, told africanFootball.com Sunday morning that Keshi is expected in Addis Ababa this week to continue talks on the possibility of taking over the national team.

“He is expected in Ethiopia late this week,” revealed the source.

Ironically, Keshi denied Ethiopians the chance of qualifying for their first-ever World Cup last year when the Super Eagles beat them both at home and away in a final playoff.

Last week, the Nigeria fired Keshi after the country’s laboured campaign to qualify for next year’s African Nations Cup in Morocco.

“We hope we can get him because he is a high profile coach who has won AFCON with Nigeria and also took them to the World Cup.”

Keshi, who has already coached Togo and Mali, is expected to salvage Ethiopia’s Nations Cup hopes as the team currently lies third in Group B with three points from four matches, three points behind second-placed Mali.

Algeria has already qualified for the tournament proper after compiling 12 points.

Ethiopia’s remaining matches are away in Algeria and then at home to bottom team Malawi next month.

The source further said Ethiopia officials are not comfortable with Portuguese coach Mariano Barreto who only managed a 3-2 away win over Mali in Wednesday’s 2015 AFCON qualifier, but has lost 99 per cent of the team matches including build-ups.