Stephen Keshi Sacked, NFF Appoints New Coach

Stephen Keshi Sacked, NFF Appoints New Coach

Babajide Orevba
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:41 PM

The Nigeria Football Federation, has relieved Stephen Keshi of his duties as coach of the Super Eagles and replaced him with another former handler, Shuaibu Amodu.

According to reports, Amodu will lead a consortium of coaches for Nigeria’s final two 2015 Africa Cup of Nationa qualifiers against Congo and South Africa.

It was gathered that a foreign manager will then be appointed to lead the team.

The decision to let Keshi go was taken after the NFF Executive Committee met on Wednesday night, after the Eagles battled to a 3-1 win over Sudan in Abuja.

A source, who was part of the meeting, told Daily Post that decision to relieved Keshi of his job was ‘in the interest of Nigerian football and the desire to ensure qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals’.

READ ALSO: Keshi, Enyeama Beg Nigerians

Keshi, whose two-year contract expired after the 2014 World Cup, and his technical and backroom staff were axed at the Abuja meeting.

Salisu Yusuf, Gbenga Ogunbote and Alloy Agu will now work with Amodu for the last two matches of the qualifying series.

Also, Toyin Ibitoye, a sports journalist, has been appointed as the new Media Officer, while Team Secretary Dayo Enebi kept his position.

Though the Nigerian national team recorded a 3-1 victory over Sudan in Abuja on Wednesday, the Eagles have had a run of bad results recently, losing to Sudan and Congo in the Group A qualifiers and drawing with South Africa.

The NFF executives did not seem to be impressed to give Keshi a new contract, more so since Keshi had stated that three Africa countries are ready to hire him if the NFF sacks him.

Speaking with AfricanFootball.com ahead of the Eagles crucial match against Sudan on Wednesday, 15 October, 2014, the former Eagles’ captain stated that he is not afraid of sack following the poor performance of his team in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Keshi insisted that countries like Gabon, Angola and Equatorial-Guinea are ready to hire him if Nigeria fails to renew his contract.

“It’s not about the game; it’s about other personal stuff. So, if tomorrow they say Keshi leave, there is no shaking because other two, three countries are waiting for me. My job is about hire and fire," he said.

Meanwhile, the Eagles will on 14 November travel to second-placed Congo, who defeated them 3-2 in Calabar in September, before they welcome Group A leaders South Africa on 19 November in Akwa Ibom.

The Nigerian team have to win their remaining two matches and hope other results in the group go their way if they were to qualify for the biennial championship.

South Africa currently tops the group with 8 points followed by Congo 7 points and Nigeria 4 point. Sudan are bottom of the group with only 3 points.

Authors
Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
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