FIFA has given Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi until September 19 to respond to the comments he made on former Malawi coach Tom Saintfeit, THISDAY Sports gathered authoritatively last night.
The deadline was issued in a letter received by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) from FIFA before the decisive World Cup 2014 qualifier between Nigeria and Malawi in Calabar on September 7.

In the letter, FIFA gave Keshi a two-week ultimatum to respond to the Belgian coach’s allegations. The deadline for Keshi to reply is next week Thursday.

We learnt last night that NFF leadership plans to summon Keshi to a meeting on how a soft landing defence can be presented to FIFA.

Saintfeit had alleged that Keshi racially abused him by the reference to him as ’’a white dude who should go back to Belgium", in a charged response to Saintfeit’s request for the World Cup qualifier to be moved from Calabar on safety concern.

The Belgian, who failed to secure an appointment with NFF as a Technical Director last year, after he had attended an interview in Abuja, caused uneasiness in Nigeria, when he asked FIFA to move the crucial fixture to Abuja or a neutral country, because the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office had pronounced Calabar as a no-travel area.

His comments prompted FIFA to demand for a full security cover from Nigeria which was provided by the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, before Calabar was declared fit to host the match.
The Eagles coach innocuously responded to Saintfeit’s comment to stoke the tension leading to the match by granting a phone interview aired on UK-based African TV show.

Keshi was angered and in the abridged interview he said:"I think the coach of Malawi is crazy. If he wants to talk to FIFA, he should go back to Belgium. He is not an African person, he is a white dude; he should go back to Belgium."

The comments were regarded as an extraordinary slur by Saintfeit who forced a complaint to be sent on his behalf to FIFA by his former employers, the Football Association of Malawi (FAM).

FAM wanted an action to be taken against Keshi for the comments, a demand which FIFA failed to deal with it before the important fixture which Nigeria won 2-0 to top Group B for a place to the last stage of Africa’s qualifying round in October – November.

FIFA has a zero-tolerance stance on racism as a way to control acts of discrimination in the football.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fifa-issues-keshi-ultimatum-on-saintfeit-comments/158934/

OMG!

If FIFA wants to sanction him, let it be after the playoff o.

Maybe that's what made the guy to resign. Beating him after yabbing him.

2nd to comment .dancing thriller on top of fifa head quarter.everyone is looking and thinking should we leave kesh i alone.




make una no remove our three point o like cape verde ooo.fifa God is watching in hd oo

vengeance of a looser....saint counterfeit

Good For Him

Rubbish this white people have come again

First time i heard a black man racially abusing a white man. So now they've seen how not so cool it is. Anyway, i would have said END TIME TINS but in order to be a victim, i won't

Maybe he wanted him to have called him a black dude who knows ?






I try shall ...... Next time i go cum first .

The statement was wrong, FIFA is serious with its fight against racism. Keshi should have known better than bursting out such words.

Anyway, an apology would help soothe things up.

Dis white pple,shldnt spoil our joy in Naija...

FIFA is only playing lip service to racism . The laws aren't tight enough to put an end to this cancer-worm. Keshi,like others,might just be cleared of any wrong-doing.

KESHI WANTS TO CHANGE TINZ BY TURNING AGAINST THOSE BASTARDOS WHITIES, I WILL DO THE SAME IN HIS SHOES.




#






END TIME TINZ

Keshi should just apologise. These people are always looking for a way to destroy African success stories with past mistakes.

.

Abeg wetin Keshi does?

bt wait o, wen did calabar strtd been unsafe, UN abeg mak una stp diz nonsense o.
For keshi- if na true u went 2far.

To be pragmatic Α̇̇̇̊п̥̥̲̣̥ƌ̲̣̣̣̥ not 2 be sentimental Keshi sud be sanctioned! Gbam!!!

Am Just Passing

leave the guy alone jor

The dude is a psycho. If he meets racism he will cringe. Imagine ripe bananas thrown at you! Basket of banana at you, cuz you are deemed a monkey!
You are not a saint joor. #butanybodyweyblivsayhimtribepassanothertribeisaracist#

Malawi thinks it is everytime a case get to FIFA that they disqualify the team and allows the runner-up to proceed what are they smoking in Malawi

searay: Abeg wetin Keshi does?

He Made racial comments against Malawian Coach that white dude
F. A. M must you guys be used by this white dude against your black brothers?

I think the worst sanction Keshi can get from this case is a 5-match ban, apology letter plus some penalty cash.

Well let Coach Keshi respond and then I am sure this issue will be sorted out amicably.
Racism has to be eliminated in this sport and racism can even go the other way..... from "black" to white".

Keshi played the music himself and should dance to it.FIFA's hammer will be heavy on him and I just pray this doesn't distract Eagles.

But this same Saintfeit guy wanted to work in Nigeria last year, during the height of Boko Haram menace.
And in my humble opinion, Calabar is far safer than the Abuja he was proposing the match be moved to.
De man no hear say dem bomb UN, Police & SARS headquarters for there ni?
Okada, drop mi for Buckingham Palace....

What's racist in calling a white guy, white guy...huh??

..Say No To Racism.....
..Kick Racism out of Sports..

Keshi was very wrong with such comments..

He shld,ve known better.As the national team manager,an ex professional football player who benefited from the sports playing in far away Belgium,imagine someone telling him and the likes of Amokachi or Ikpeba..."you are black,you shld,nt be in Belgium..go back to Nigeria or Africa".

I am very disappointed with him.he shld guide his tongue and learn how to conduct himself in public..

I hope this doesnt affect his job and all the beautiful progress he and Super Eagles have made so far.

Live, eat, drink, feel nairaland always!

This early and this much crowd is here?

My government will surely look into this and see ways to add nairaland to the key aspect of our economic drive and value chain!

I hope Keshi's words won't make FIFA Withdraw our 3 points and give it to Malawi, that might just be Malawi's plan.

Who get small pin charger?