Keshi under pressure over Osaze

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi  has  come under intense pressure to invite  West Brom striker Osaze  Odemwingie  for Nigeria’s  June 5  Group F return leg World Cup qualifying  match against Kenya in Nairobi, it has been learnt. A last-gasp equaliser from substitute Nnamdi Oduamadi gave Nigeria a vital point in their first leg meeting 1-1 with the Harambee Stars in Calabar on March 23. The result presented Malawi, who beat Namibia 1-0 in the other group fixture in Windhoek, the opportunity to move up the table to tie on five points with Nigeria.
The Eagles will arrive in Nairobi for a must-win encounter with the East Africans and some former Eagles players are said to be working behind the scenes  to resolve the strained relationship  between Keshi and  Osaze, whose experience they  believe could help the team win their fifth World Cup ticket.
The 31-year-old, who has been having a running battle with the Baggies  over his   series of Twitter rants against the club after having a transfer request rejected at the start of the year,  has not played for the Eagles since a 2013 Nations Cup qualifier in Rwanda in February 2012. He missed out  on a place in  the victorious Africa Cup of Nations squad after his Twitter rants against Keshi.
Keshi on Thursday refused to name Osaze, Obafemi Martins and Joseph Yobo  in his 30-man list  for at least 10 matches to be played  between May and June.
Our correspondent learnt on Friday that an influential ex-international is serving as a  middleman between Osaze and Keshi.
“Yes, Keshi will invite Osaze for the game against Kenya,” the source told our correspondent.
“The encounter is crucial to our World Cup qualification and we want our best players on the field.
“Keshi spoke well of Osaze when we spoke on the telephone on Tuesday and I believe everything will  be sorted out soon. But Osaze must change his behaviour, and this is key to his recall.”
It was learnt that Keshi was forced to listen to suggestions for the return of the former Lille player following the performance of veteran striker Obafemi Martins against Kenya.
The Eagles coach, who banked on the new Seattle Sounders signing to score goals  in the absence of injured Emamanuel Emenike, was said to have expressed his disappointment over Martins’ performance after  the game.
Keshi, who said recently he had not shut the national team door on Osaze and other players excluded from the Africa Cup of Nations, promised  to speak with the former Russia-based forward.
“Osaze is a good kid. But right now, I don’t know exactly what’s going on with him,”Kickoff quoted the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach as saying.
“I was surprised when I read that he had been fined such a huge sum of money. But it is hard to say what exactly the situation is until I speak to him.”
Team psychologist Robinson Okosun said last week that Osaze would  play for the national team again.
“I have spoken to  Keshi about this and his answer is always the same. Odemwingie and all other Nigerian players, wherever they may play their football are eligible to play for the national team. The door is very open for him to make a return,” Okosun told SuperSport.com