As the Nigerian sporting community continues to grope in the dark as to the fate of Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi after the country failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Nations Cup, the Ministry of Sports officials have insisted that only the Nigeria Football Federation can decide the next move, the Punch newspaper reports
The Director General of the National Sports Commission Mr. Gbenga Elegbeleye placed the buck on the table of the NFF when he spoke with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday. The former member of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports reiterated that it was the responsibility of the NFF to hire and fire coaches and that the NSC would always support the decision of the NFF on the matter.
He said, “We are the supervisory body and we are not expected to do the job of the Nigeria Football Federation for them. So if the NFF wishes to retain or relieve Keshi of his job, it is their sole responsibility. We can’t do their job for them. We will support and respect their decisions on the issue. Our responsibility is to ensure that all the NFF need to give us positive results as regards the national teams is given to them. That is all.”
But despite the position taken by the NSC on the matter, experts of the game insists that such statements were only possible on paper as it has become apparent that NFF members were forced to recall Keshi after he was relieved of his position. Even though the NFF President Amaju Pinnick has consistently denied that Keshi was forced on them by the Presidency, insiders in Nigeria football matters confirmed to our correspondent that the coach was recalled on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathan and it is for the same reason that they have found it difficult to take a clear decision on the matter. The NFF were in search of a foreign coach before Keshi was suddenly returned to the team just hours after Jonathan met with Pinnick and some other top sports officials in Abuja.
Keshi’s contract with the NFF expired with the 2014 World Cup which ended in Brazil in July.
The NSC top officials have also condemned the performance of the Eagles in failing to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations despite the kind of support the team received.
Elegbeleye said at the same forum, “We are not happy about missing out of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. I can tell you honestly that we are not happy about it at all.
“Missing out as the defending champions is so frustrating and unfortunate,” he said.
“What we need to do now is to make Nigerians happy again by building a strong Super Eagles team that will be a pride of all. I think this again has afforded us the opportunity of having a holistic look at where we are lacking
Credits: Punch