The subtle battle between Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi and
his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation may blow into a full
scale war when the absentee coach returns from his trip to Carlifonia,
USA.
On return, Keshi is bound to meet a charged atmosphere which has been
incensed by his alleged absence from the April 10 technical committee
meeting in which he was expected to discuss Eagles’ busy schedule in
May, June and July.
To start with, sources at the Glass House hinted that the NFF will
issue Keshi, a query for failing to attend Wednesday’s technical and
development committee meeting in Abuja.
The Nigerian coach was in Lagos this week to take delivery of two cars promised him by Globacom chairman, Mike Adenuga Jr.
But Keshi, 51, left for California in the United States of America
(USA) to see his family, leaving executive members of the federation
furious.
Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Emeka Inyama, told
journalists in Abuja that Keshi will have to explain to his employers
why he was absent from the meeting with the federation’s technical and
development committee.
“The federation officially invited Keshi to discuss with the
technical committee on some salient issues affecting the team. These
include his recent issues with captain of the team, Joseph Yobo as well
as Osaze Odemwingie.
Also, the technical committee wants to know his programmes for the
(Fifa) Confederations Cup and the World Cup qualifiers. But he didn’t
show up.
“Yet we know he was in Lagos to take delivery of the cars given to
him by Chief Mike Adenuga before leaving the country. Yes he had
booked his flight to leave the country but I’m also a regular traveller
and I don’t think spending $120 (about N19,000) to reschedule his flight
would be too much.
“The federation will be demanding a lot of explanation from him
because this is serious business and a national business too,” said
Inyama.
Keshi guided Nigeria to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South
Africa in February this year but fell out with the federation even
before the final.
Keshi raged because he found out how he would have been sacked if he
failed. His actions and comments painted the federation in bad light and
nobody gave the federation any credit for the success in South Africa.
The African champions will start off their busy schedule with an
international friendly with Mexico in Houston on May 31 before making
trips to Kenya and Namibia in June for the 2014 Fifa World Cup
qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are drawn in Group B with Tahiti, Uruguay and world champions, Spain.
Culled: Vanguard
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