Stephen Keshi was sacked from his role as Nigeria coach on
Thursday morning, bringing an end to his three year reign
despite his side's 3-1 win over Sudan a few hours earlier.
In his place, Amodu Shaibu, a former national team trainer,
has been handed the job of temporarily leading the Super
Eagles in their remaining 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
next month.
Keshi was told to go after the African champions could only
muster four points from four matches in the qualifiers, thereby
putting in jeopardy the nation’s quest to defend the title won
last year in South Africa.
The 52-year-old, who also took Nigeria to the second round
of the World Cup in Brazil, was kicked out alongside his
assistants Daniel Amokachi and Ike Shorunmu.
One of the factors that led to the sacking of Keshi was his
desire to exert his authority as the head coach of the Eagles
while ignoring other peoples’ opinion. It was the sole factor
former coach Samson Siasia failed as boss when he
considered himself to be above the board and thus took
decisions unilaterally without consideration. It was on this
premise that Siasia was asked to go and that a more humane
manager would be found. The one that would know how to
manage the ego of his players without necessarily clashing
with them.
Keshi was the supposed messiah and he started work as
such when he invited almost all the Eagles' players to the
national team in order to measure how good they were and
judge who would fit in with his strategy. Nigerians praised
this bold move and he even endeared himself more to those
that gave him the job when he said he would raise a
formidable home-based team and that these players would
fight for shirts on level terms with those abroad. He later
digressed and, just like those before him, the foreign-based
players had their ways into his heart while leaving the
domestic ones in the lurch.
There were also concerns in the NFF that Keshi would not
listen to advice from the technical committee on who to call
up and what tactics to play since he won the Afcon in South
Africa. This was only going to end one way for the coach.
Another sin of Keshi was handing call-ups to players that
were of no relevance to the national team. Sticking to these
players proved to be a worthy venture in some cases, but this
ensured there was a lack of competition for places in the
team. Keshi picked avoidable quarrels with some of his best
performers and called up those that were not up to scratch as
their replacements.
This ensured that he kept fielding Emmanuel Emenike, who
last scored for Nigeria in October 2013, while ignoring more
in-form strikers like Ikechukwu Uche and Obafemi Martins
ahead of the World Cup. There were also questionable call
ups for Shola Ameobi, Reuben Gabriel and Michael Uchebo
going to the World Cup.
Former Super Eagles player Garba Lawal recently made this
known succinctly in an interview with Goal : "Keshi has
allowed sentiments to cloud his judgment and because of this
he should be allowed to go. The Eagles deserve their best
legs but it would be difficult for the Big Boss to offer this with
the way he is handling the team presently."
Keshi out | Saturday's defeat to Sudan was the last straw for
several fans
Public anger against Keshi reached unprecedented heights
after Saturday’s defeat in Khartoum to Sudan. Fans saw a
team that lacked the zeal to win and took it out on the
coaching crew that was seen as lacking in technical depth.
When the team returned from Sudan, they were booed at the
Abuja airport and almost attacked physically but for security
agents.
There were also protests by fans at the stadium on Tuesday,
with many carrying placards that read: "Keshi Out". The NFF
saw this as their coup de grace to finally edge out the coach
who had fallen out of favour in many circles.
It was obvious that the NFF was not interested in keeping
Keshi on the job after the World Cup, as they held off
renewing his contract which expired in June. And his sacking
was only delayed due to the internal problems within the
federation which ensured that a new board was not in place
until the end of September.
It was the first big task for the new board led by Amaju
Pinnick, who is publicly not a fan of Keshi’s. Hence,
Thursday’s sacking was long overdue. The main backers of
Keshi could no longer keep him safe and he had to go.
Keshi led the Eagles to the Afcon title in 2013 in South Africa
and he was in charge of the team for the 2013 Confederation
Cup and the 2014 World Cup both in Brazil. He also
supervised the Eagles to a bronze medal in their maiden
appearance in the 2014 African Nations Championship. It was
a competition meant for players who ply their trade in their
domestic leagues. He led the CHAN Eagles to qualify for the
competition also after the country had failed to claim a ticket
for the past two editions.
The 52-year-old also secured the Eagles’ first victory at the
World Cup since France 1998 and it was during his reign that
Nigeria secured a place in the second round of the 2014
World Cup.
The NFF has taken the best decision possible based on the
prevalent situation to ask Keshi and his assistants to go while
giving room to another set with different sense of approach to
tinker the team for the next two matches.
Nigerians won’t forgive the present board of the NFF if the
Eagles are unable to defend the trophy won last year at
Morocco 2015 and all efforts must be geared towards
ensuring that Nigeria defeat Congo in Brazzaville and also
beat South Africa comfortably in Uyo next month to ensure
that a ticket to Morocco is assured.

Think Nigeria is getting better. Things like Ebola, Boko Haram and Keshi Nigerians wished out are being shown the exit door. United we stand!