Newly-elected Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick, has said Stephen Keshi has to accept extra technical assistance if he must remain as Super Eagles’ coach.
Keshi Tuesday demanded that the team fly to Sudan on chartered flight to avoid fatigue on the players as they meet Sudan in Saturday’s win or burst Nations Cup qualifier.
Keshi, who is out of a contract but will handle the country’s team in two Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Sudan this month, dismissed suggestions before the FIFA World Cup that he be assisted in Brazil with more technical expertise.
But Pinnick, who was elected NFF president last week, has now insisted the coach will have to accept such assistance to stay on his post.
“Right now Keshi is out of contract, but he is coaching the team. I am not going to tell you today that I am going to sack Keshi, I am not going to also tell you that he would be there, but if Keshi were to stay, we would help him,” he said.
“And even if you want to help a coach, there are processes. But I can assure you we are not going to do anything that is against the interest of Nigerians.
He added: “We are going to create a technical study group that would build a data bank of Nigeria players playing abroad. And how they play regularly.
“We would have the A-league, B-league and C-league as the case may be. If for example you have someone playing in the A-league and scoring goals, you cannot bring someone from China to come and bench that person, we cannot allow that.
“We will give him a pool where he picks players from, that is what is done all over the world.”
Pinnick, who last week announced that he would take responsibility should the Eagles fail to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, also said Keshi has to build his capacity.
“There was a time I made a comment that Keshi has reached his limit and needs to build his capacity,” he said.
“But one thing we must say about Keshi is that he is a hero and as a hero we must accord him that respect. He won the Nations Cup as a player and won it as a coach, there are only two of them like that in Africa.”
All the invited players trained in Abuja Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s AFCON qualifier in Sudan.
Keshi said yesterday that a commercial flight would mean the Eagles would most likely stop over in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and only arrive in Sudan the night before the Saturday showdown.
Among the players who trained Tuesday included Chelsea star Mikel Obi, Vincent Enyeama, Kenneth Omeruo, Hope Akpan, Aaron Samuel, Nosa Igiebor, Emmanuel Emenike and Elderson Echeijile.
Others are Austin Ejide, Ogenyi Onazi, Babatunde Michael, Efe Ambrose, Ighodaro Osagouna, Gbolahan Salami and Chigozie Agbim.
