Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi hints during a chat session with fans on SuperSport.com that Nigeria is no longer one of the top countries in African football. The former Eagles captain reveals his African top 10, rates the ongoing Africa Cup Nations participants and discloses how he plans to revive Nigerian football.

Are you sure Nigeria will qualify for the next AFCON in South Africa. How many Europe-based players are you inviting for the match vs Rwanda?

I believe Nigeria will qualify for the next Nations Cup. I'm looking at between 10-15 players. We have to invite only the players that we need. We will invite the best players no matter where they are based. The team is the Super Eagles. It must not just be about where the player is based

Which of the teams currently featuring in the AFCON 2012 do you think will be ripe enough for a good appearance during the 2014 World Cup? And thank you for the work you are currently doing with the Eagles. It is appreciated and hope you would be able to finally solve our lethargic midfield problems.
Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon and Senegal despite their AFCON failures have the qualities to compete well.

The Super Eagles have not been playing well for the past 12 years. How can you improve the situation, and what is the way forward for Nigerian football?

We need to start grooming local players and evolving a discernible pattern. The way forward is to have a vision and let the players know what direction we want them to go, not just to have them show up a few days and just play to win matches.

What is your view about the low turnout of fans at the stadium, also about the absence of Nigeria national team as Nigeria?

It's probably visa and other constraints for the foreign fans and for the local fans, the organisers need to either reduce the gate fees or provide transportation and other logistic support.

Have you been able to identify the problem of the Super Eagles? Also, don't you think we lack quality players to deliver when it matters most?

The solution to the problem of the Super Eagles is to encourage them to be very determined,  have self-belief and above all, re-ignite the kind of fire that my generation possessed to be the best in Africa and one of the best in the world.

Nigerian players have been tagged average in the recent past based on their inability to attract great clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United and other top clubs in Europe as it used to be during your days as player. What can you do to change the tide?

It's their personal desire that will change that with hard work. It's all about bringing back the passion of playing football.

My question is why is it that a country like Nigeria with her large population has not been able to win more AFCON trophies? I think it's a disgrace. What do you think is the main cause?

I agree with you my brother. We have the quality to have won more but we lacked the capacity and the will to drive home long-term planning and organizational stability that could have enabled us to do just that.

If you have your way in ranking the top 10 African nations, as opposed to the FIFA system which is confusing to most of us, which teams would make your top 10 based on current form?

Cote d' Ivoire, Ghana, Gabon, Zambia, Guinea, Mali, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal.

How can we be sure that Stephen Keshi is the best coach for now for the Super Eagles?

I'm not the best but my experience as a player, having played all over Africa and the world at the highest level,  has put me in good stead to do well with the team. I have also gained coaching experience over the past few years. I think I can add value and I believe I can help make Nigeria national team great again.

As you are following the Orange AFCON 2012, do you have the conviction that African football is on the progress lane?

Based on what I have seen, not yet. Let's wait and see what happens from quarter-finals upwards.

Big boss, I wish you well. I' ve been  following your career from way back to your days as a cult hero at Anderlecht. I particularly remember how you organised the defence line so well in the last match against Algeria away in a qualifier for USA ''94 (even though you were not 100% fit). I 'd like to know in your opinion why it seems so difficulty for the current Super Eagles to play modern football like the rest of the world (even African countries are increasingly playing this way too). I mean they hardly run off the ball and when they lose the ball, they don 't close the gaps when the opposing team has the ball.
They also seem to be focusing on trying to beat the opponent one- on -one even when it is not necessary and an intelligent pass would have served better. As for keeping the shape of the team, it seems to be a big problem, thereby leaving big gaps for the opponents to exploit, and in front of goal, they seem to rush the finish by taking low percentage shots (i.e shots that 99% of the time will not yield anything). Is it the players' lack of discipline or the coaches that don't see this?

That's a good analysis. It all depends on the demands of the coach at the time and also when the players are on the field, I mean how you get them to carry out instructions.

Every team also needs a leader on the field to interpret the coaches’ instruction. I used to do that when I was playing.That's a good analysis there Benjamin. It all depends on the demands of the coach at the time and also when the players are on the field, I mean how you get them to carry out instructions.

Every team also needs a leader on the field to interpret the coaches’ instruction. I used to do that when I was playing.


Source:

http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2012/02/keshi-eagles-no-longer-the-giants-of-africa

Before nko?

At least he said the truth but it was too too too bitter

And when has Nigeria ever been the Giants OF Africa Soccer?

Nigeria is one of the top teams in Africa but not the Giants.

The records speak differently.

Nigeria just has to get it's act together and enter the race again, but should stop calling itself African Soccer Giants, because it has never been. There are periods when countries do very well for a while and then go down in their performance.

This is the down time for Nigeria so they must work hard and get things going again.

Why the story!!

ANTS OF AFRICA indeed!!!

You are spot on Keshooo.
Meawhile, JOSE MOURINHO is ready to make a spectacular return as Chelsea manager.
Read more on www.footballfile.com

super chickens, hey eagles are now the lions, hey ants of africa.

ghana has taken over

When I was little kid, I thought the early 90s Nigerian soccer would represent the beginning of greater success, not the end of it

Nigeria has regressed heavily, soccer-wise

super eagle will come alive again!

Stop telling us what we already know, that was past glory

get on with re-building and stop blabing

They lost that position years ago.

wow!!!!!!!!!! newsflash!!!

well said keshi, lets hope u can revive it

Very good and easy for any coach to say what keshi is saying, but his missing a point or maybe his too scared to mention this. The government will need to invest in the game and recognise sports in general as a potential national interest and not just oil and gas, Look at Jamaica Usain Bolt promoting and increasing tourism of his country. All our athlete's and sport men and women preferred to represent their adopted country and yet the Nigeria government don't see it as a problem.

Is he just realising know we lost that title the day Ghana trashed us 4-1. He try to shld revive it

The revival should start from the roots. We cannot build so long as 27 year old men continue to masquerade as 13 year old boys. Maybe Etisalat can use their partnership with Barca to get a few young boys into the La Mansia.

Na Today ?!!!

And that's why he should be right here giving it all it takes. His three weeks doing DSTV/AFCON runs is another reason why the gap will remain where it is. Remember our Super Falcons Oylmpic debacle. Granted we did not qualify for the All African games but while the Camerounia ladies got good tournament practice we disbanded our teem and retired to our telly's. The result is history. Who knows which of these teams in the AFCON we will face beyond Rwanda.

True talk. now you are the coach, lets see how you peform

Na lie before? In fact we are giant of under achievement

Na today

In fairness, we were always a "potential giant" but never got our acts together to show we were the giants of Africa.
And those good old days are so so gone

since when

there has been massive and unprecedented resignation of appointment by staffs @ intercontinental bank this week
as over 28 branches in lagos alone could not open to customers as a results of the exodus of staffs .
other locations visited shows some cadre of staffs handling functions they are not prepared for, which resulted in delay and very poor services.


there have been serious and very poor services in most of the branches visited by a correspondent of a news organization in other states . and other locations across the country
there is has been drop in manner customers besiege the bank's busy branches for business.
payment of cash has also been difficult.

customers interviewed has been expressing disaffection in the turn of very poor services since the take over by access bank.
it's mobile banking has not been working for two months.

apart from the closure of about 100 branches of intercontinental bank closed down by the new management

confirmed reports has it that the new owners asked people to resign if they are not willing to take the new offer.
the new offer according to reports is full of anti labour laws
forfeiture of whatever severance pays u might have benefited from working with ibplc.
signing of bond,no severance pay or gratuity in it's policy
placement on probation irrespective of no of years spent @ ibplc
and very many unfriendly clause and conditions.

access bank according to industry watch is proudly know for sacking of its employees without recourse to procedures as they operate a gangstar approach in employees matters .regular termination of staff's appointment with no disciplinary offence at all.

high levels of unbalanced employees worklife balance, frequent holdings of meetings at odd hours
midnight meetings and till day break.


termination of staffs employment based on deposit inflow for all cadre of staffs.example the 1500 recently disengage whether marketing or not .poor treatment and talking down on it's employees .

reports further shows that other banks has already been taking advantage of the exodus of its staffs to mob up deposit into its books.

make FG even scrap football in 9ja

The new is coming later than expected.
can we rewind this statement to the year 2002 before the exist of the like of Oliseh et al?

Who said we were?

we can be if we work really hard.