Amodu Asks Keshi to Quit
My advice to former Super Dagles Coach, Stephen Keshi: quit now, the newly appointed Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Shaibu Amodu, has said.
Amodu wants Keshi to behave like a real professional by honourably quitting the stage as the national coach, following the failure of Nigeria to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations that holds next January in Equatorial Guinea.
The status of Keshi whose contract with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has expired and he was expected to walk away after absymal showings with the Super Eagles that saw the team fail to qualify for Africa’s soccer showpiece, AFCON.
His future has continued to be a subject of guess-work, after several indications that the presidency might have compelled the NFF to re-engage him,
Amodu, a five-time former coach of the national team, advised Keshi to take a bow, instead of hanging around the `Glass House` like a beggar.
Amodu fired a caveat that NFF would set a dangerous precedent if it retains Keshi after he failed to guide the Eagles to the Nations Cup.
“As a coach you are as good as your last game. If Keshi has a reputation, he should walk away from the job. But if he does not have a reputation, he should continue to stay as a beggar. If I were him, I would step aside for another person to try while I take up another offer elsewhere or come back again in the future, “Amodu observed Tuesday.
He warned Nigeria against setting a precedent with the Keshi saga since his immediate predecessor, Samson Siasia was dismissed in November 2011, following his failure to secure a ticket to the AFCON 2012.
“Even when Siasia failed, President Goodluck Jonathan could not redeem him from being sacked. Why should we treat Keshi differently? “queried Amodu.
He said that Keshi’s failure had vindicated him for declining the Eagles job on short term basis last November when NFF fired Keshi and asked him (Amodu) to prosecute the last two qualifying matches that would determine Nigeria’s Nations Cup fate.
“Then I said Keshi be allowed to finish the job so that he can be given a proper assessment if I had failed I would have gone down and it would impact all I have achieved in my life,” recalled the former Orlando Pirates coach.
Amodu similarly said he expected NFF to firm up his employment process so that he can assume duty as the technical director in two weeks time and articulate his development programme for the football federation.
