May have no option but to stick to Eagles
BY GEORGE ALUO
After the Brazil 2014 World Cup, the Big Boss as Stephen Keshi is fondly called told whoever cared to listen that he is through with the Super Eagles.
Keshi who looked quite unruffled after the Eagles were ousted by France in the second round of the mundial in the city of Brasilia told reporters covering the World Cup, including this writer that he was dumping the Eagles for one of the over 10 countries that were jostling for his signature.
But several months after the World Cup, Keshi is still literally floating with no contract in the kitty. It would be recalled that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has since after the Brazil outing not renewed his contract. His failure to qualify Nigeria for the 2015 Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea did not help matters.
Although the NFF are reluctantly on the verge of offering Keshi a new contract, both parties (NFF and Keshi) would no doubt have preferred to part ways. Should Keshi accept whatever the NFF is offering him, that would be the case of a coach that has no choice.
A look at what has happened in the last six month shows that Keshi has traversed the length and breath of Africa looking for a new contract that has remained elusive.
First the coach was in South Africa where everything looked good for him to take over Bafana Bafana. In fact the media both local and foreign was awash with news that Keshi has landed it big in South Africa. Few days after the news broke, SAFA issued a release denying any deal with Keshi, even as they went ahead to settle for their man Shakes Mashaba who went ahead to stop Keshi and his rag tag Eagles from qualifying for the 2015 Nations Cup.
When the South Africa dust settled another news started flying as Keshi was linked to the Black Stars of Ghana job. Again the GFA cleared the air insisting that they had nothing to do with the Big Boss. Ghana has since hired former Chelsea manager Avram Grant who started on a fine note as he led Ghana to the final of the just concluded Nations Cup.
From Accra, attention on Keshi and his hunt for a new job shifted to Luanda, Angola and just like the other countries, Angola opted to look elsewhere for who to manage the Palancas Negras.
When nothing worked in Luanda, Keshi crossed over to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and held discussions with the Ethiopian soccer federation. The Ethiopians who were apparently impressed with the way Keshi dealt with them during the Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifiers surprisingly refused to play ball and offer him contract.
Few days after accepting to host the Nations Cup, Equatorial Guinea who were without a coach started shopping for one, with Keshi again on their wanted list. Keshi stormed Malabo and was there when the Nations Cup draw was held, unfortunately he (Keshi) lost the job to a Portuguese coach who eventually led the tiny East and Central African country to a historic semi final place in the recently concluded Nations Cup on home soil.
Just this week one was about to shout halleluyah that finally Keshi has sealed a new deal in Burkina Faso when news filtered in that the Burkinabes have opted to settle for German manager Germot Rohr.
When things were looking like going Keshi’s way in Burkina, NFF boss Pinnick Amaju was quick in stating that they wont stop Keshi from accepting the Stallions job. Another NFF official who pleaded anonymity told Saturday Sunsports that they were actually praying for Keshi to land it big outside since that would end their unholy romance with the Big Boss. He was quick to point out that the soccer federation’s hands were tied as far as the Keshi saga is concerned.
“The truth is that if we have our way, we would go for another coach. But you that our hands are tied on this matter as the God fathers working for the Big Boss are hell bent on our retaining him,” the NFF official said.
Keshi has on his part has made it clear that he wont hesitate to go elsewhere if he gets a job outside the nation’s shores. Before jetting out to Ouagadougou to negotiate with the Burkina Faso FA , Keshi said coaching the Eagles was not a do or die affair. He stressed that though he would love to serve his fatherland, he cant afford to be waiting for the NFF contract that appears to be taking eternity to come.
As things stand now, Keshi may have no option but to settle for the Eagles job despite the reduced pay the NFF is offering him.
FAILED DEALS
- South Africa
- Ghana
- Ethiopia
- Angola
- Equitorial Guinea
- Burkina Faso
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