Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has been
urged not to try to stay in the job after failing to
qualify the team for the 2015 Africa Cup of
Nations.
Keshi is currently without a contract with the
Nigeria Football Federation.
And a top NFF official told BBC Sport: “Walking
away honourably would be the smartest thing for
Stephen Keshi.
“It’s pointless to hang around when you’ve failed,
have been completely rejected by the NFF and are
unwanted by disappointed football fans.”
Keshi endured a turbulent time during the
qualification campaign, in which he was sacked
by the NFF and only reinstalled after intervention
from the presidency.
And the intensity of speculation about his future
increased following Nigeria’s 2-2 draw with South
Africa in Uyo last week that meant they will not
play at next year’s continental finals in Equatorial
Guinea.
Nigeria had gone into the that match knowing a
win would earn their place at the tournament,
their failure to do so has left NFF president Amaju
Pinnick refusing to name who he believes is “the
ideal man to lead the team from the present dark
to sunshine”.
Keshi himself has refused to comment on whether
it is the end of his time as coach with the team
he steered to Nations Cup glory in 2013 and led
to the last-16 of this summer’s World Cup in
Brazil.
But the NFF official added: “He does not have any
contractual obligations with the federation;
remember the board also offered to sponsor him
and his assistants to managerial courses with
good intention.
“He will probably get a job elsewhere before
January but the country will not get the
opportunity to play at the next Nations Cup.”
Vanguard.
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