‘Time to Call Keshi’s Bluff’ says Olusegun Adeniyi…..

Following the victory of the Super Eagles in the 2013 African Cup of Nations tournament in South Africa, their coach (and former national team captain), Mr. Stephen Keshi (Pictured above), immediately announced to the world that he was resigning his appointment because of the way he had been treated by the football authorities. That immediately sent signals that all was not well with Nigerian football and the government and the media (including this reporter) rushed to his side. Even President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President David Mark intervened on his behalf. Just a few weeks ago again, with the conclusion of the World Cup in Brazil, Keshi announced that he was “resigning” from the job at a time his contract had actually expired. The news now is that he has started to give conditions under which he would accept a job that he has not been offered. It is a familiar trick but he should not be allowed to hold the country to ransom.

In July last year, I was appointed by then Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, to chair a panel to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the bonus row that emanated after the Nigeria-Namibia match on 13th June 2013 in Namibia during which the players went on strike. Claiming that there was a shortfall in their expected bonus payments, the players threatened not to travel to Brazil to participate in the Confederations Cup and it took the personal intervention of the president to save the day, just as it happened recently in Brazil.

With Mallam Shehu Dikko, a football person in the true sense of the word, as the secretary, other members of my panel included former News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Managing Director, Bashorun Akin Osuntokun; a member of the House of Representatives’ Sports Committee, Hon. Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir; Vanguard Newspaper Group Sports Editor, Mr. Onochie Anibeze; respected former international, Mr. Garba Lawal and broadcast journalist and sports administrator in her own rights, Ms Aisha Falode.

In the course of our six-week assignment, we held four interactive sessions in Abuja with various key parties involved in the bonus saga. From the NFF came Alhaji Aminu Maigari (President); Musa Amadu (General Secretary); Mr. Okey Obi (Chief Legal Officer); Barrister Chris Green (Technical committee chairman); High Chief Emeka Inyama (exco member) and Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme (Technical Director). We also met with Mr. Stephen Keshi (Chief Coach); Mr. Daniel Amokachi (Asst. Coach); Mr. Ike Shorunmu (Goal Keeper Coach); Mr. Achor Enebi Dayo (Team Secretary) as well as the following Super Eagles players: Chigozie Agbim, Azubijike Egwuekwe, Sunday Mba, Oboabona Godfrey, Kwambe Solomon and Gambo Mohammed. As part of my brief, I equally had a telephone conversation with the Turkey-based Super Eagles captain, Mr. Joseph Yobo for whom I have tremendous respect because of his candour and patriotism.

Although our report (not implemented before the change of guards at the ministry) did not exactly find Keshi guilty for the embarrassment in Namibia (which by the way still happened at the World Cup in Brazil!), it did not escape our attention that from the 1994 World Cup in the US when Nigeria was having a good outing until the players began to demand for higher bonus above what was officially agreed; to the 2002 African Cup of Nations Cup tournament in Mali, leading to another disappointing outing; to the case in Namibia, bonus row has been a perennial problem. And in all the cases listed above, Keshi was involved either as a player or a coach.

Indeed, the interactive sessions with football stakeholders, coupled with my earlier experience as a member of the Presidential Task Force on World Cup 2010 in South Africa (appointed in 2009 by my late boss), made me to understand Nigerian football the more. For instance, the NFF in their testimony backed with documentary evidence revealed that they were spending virtually all their funds on bonuses and managing the various national teams with the Super Eagles alone taking more than 80 percent of the budget.

The interactive sessions with the stakeholders also gave us opportunities to see the challenge of our football administration and the danger of political interference which is very pervasive, little wonder that only recently FIFA had to wield the big stick on the ill-advised sack of the NFF board. Therefore, now that Keshi’s contract with the NFF has ended, he should be encouraged to go. Given his rich CV in football management not only in Nigeria but on the continent, he will definitely not be lacking in lucrative offers. All factors considered, I do not think that Keshi is the manager that the Super Eagles need going forward.

This opinion is that of Olusegun Adeniyi (Picture below) for the The Verdict column.

Not quite sure what the Olusegun’s point is; ‘Time to Call Keshi’s Bluff ‘. Why should Keshi’s bluff be called? Yea, you had the privilege to serve on a board that could have made dramatic changes to the way football is managed via recommendations. 

Even though your report, which was not implemented did not see the light of the day, you were bold in pointing to cast insinuations towards Keshi. That was totally unnecessary.

I hereby cut and paste your damning insinuation that; Although our report (not implemented before the change of guards at the ministry) did not exactly find Keshi guilty for the embarrassment in Namibia (which by the way still happened at the World Cup in Brazil!), it did not escape our attention that from the 1994 World Cup in the US when Nigeria was having a good outing until the players began to demand for higher bonus above what was officially agreed; to the 2002 African Cup of Nations Cup tournament in Mali, leading to another disappointing outing; to the case in Namibia, bonus row has been a perennial problem. And in all the cases listed above, Keshi was involved either as a player or a coach.

If you didn’t quite directly accuse Keshi of any wrong doing. What have you done then?

You further stated that your experience by virtue of your membership of the Presidential Task Force on World Cup 2010 in South Africa  made you to understand Nigerian football the more. 

I have news for you Olusegun. I don’t think you do.  If you do as you opined to, you would have seen from kilometres away that Keshi is a breath of fresh air. A Nigerian coach who has the audacity to call the bluff of NFF like a foreign coach would. And you see this as a problem. What a shame. God help Nigeria if someone like yourself who had the privilege to speak with partners involved in running the national team could not figure out indigenous coaches and players need to be accorded some form of respect.

Keshi knows what is right. He wants to implement what is right. Officials find it condescending and frown at his approach. What no one can take away from Keshi though is that he still remains Nigeria’s most successful indigenous coach.

Olusegun, NFF can’t afford to call his bluff. Period!

 

If they do, Nigeria football will take football back many years. We need this coach, staff and crop of players to grow. Leave them to do their stuff. Damn all the so called presidential ‘money making’ forces.