Sacked Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has demanded a compensation of a billion Naira (more than $400 million) from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for defaming him.
Last week, it was reported that Keshi had dragged the NFF to court for “wrongful dismissal and defamation”.
A top source told said “Keshi’s lawyers have demanded for a billion Naira from the NFF as compensation for defaming their client.”
The letter from the Kaduna-based law firm was received by the NFF on Friday.
Keshi was sacked by the NFF on July 5 after the NFF disciplinary committee investigated various allegations against him.
This was four months after the 53-year-old coach signed a new two-year contract after his initial three-year deal with the NFF ran out at last year’s World Cup in Brazil.
Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has been fired by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Saturday.
Though the details of the sack was not given to journalist, but findings revealed that the action of the NFF may be as a result of Keshi’s application for a coaching job with the Ivory Coast national team.
Keshi had in recent times denied continuously the speculation that he had applied for a coaching job with IC, but the NFF had equally vowed to fire him should the speculation be proven to be true.
Both the NFF spokesman, Ademola Olajire and Keshi’s manager, Emmanuel Ado confirmed the development which took most Nigerians by surprise.
Burkina Faso have appointed Germany’s Gernot Rohr as their new coach after their Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) disappointment, their Football Federation (FBF) confirmed on Wednesday.
The 61-year-old replaces Belgian Paul Put who left by mutual agreement after their first-round elimination in Equatorial Guinea last month.
Put led the side to the 2013 CAN final in South Africa where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Nigeria.
The duration of Rohr’s contract was not revealed although it was confirmed he will also coach the Burkina Faso Olympic team.
He played for 17 seasons as a defender, including spells with Bayern Munich and Bordeaux, before moving into coaching in 1990.
Rohr led Bordeaux to the 1996 UEFA Cup final, where they were beaten by Bayern, and also coached at Nice, Young Boys, Ajaccio, Nantes and Tunisian side Etoile Sahel before his first national job at the helm of Gabon between 2010 and 2012.
His most recent posting was as coach of Niger between 2012 and 2014.
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 Credit: vanguard
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.”
Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi is adamant that he is the right man to lead the Super Eagles into the future.
Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi Credit: Punch
Disaster struck last week for Nigeria when they failed to qualify for Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament they won in its most recent edition, 2013.
Keshi, who was relieved of his duties before being recalled for Nigeria’s last two qualifying matches, does not feel that firing him again would be the way to go.
“If a team fails, sacking the coach won’t solve the problem. The authority should look beyond the coach to find solutions to the problem.
“I can’t deny it is a shame that we failed to qualify. On my part, I failed the nation but my players took South Africa for granted, a match they needed to win,” Keshi said.
Keshi’s agent, Emma Addo, also feels that the former Super Eagles AFCON winning captain is not to blame for the team’s current failure.
“No explanation will be acceptable now by Nigerians, but Super Eagles problems go beyond coaching. If some issues are not resolved, no one can succeed for long with the team,” Addo told the sl10.ng website.
“We shouldn’t forget where Keshi picked this team from in 2012, almost same place like they are now, but nobody cared about how they got there, that is why it happened again,” Adoo added.
The Super Eagles coach has described Saturday’s match against Congo as very tough but is now hoping to seal a place in Equatorial Guinea with victory over Bafana Bafana on Wednesday.
Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi Credit: Punch
Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has cast his eye on victory over South Africa after describing the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Congo as a very difficult match.
Keshi said that there were no longer small teams on the continent as the Super Eagles won 2-0 in Pointe Noire to keep alive hopes of reaching next year’s tournament.
The defending African champions were in danger of missing out on Equatorial Guinea 2015 but were aided by goals from Ikechukwu Uche and Aaron Samuel.
“The game of football has changed, people are growing, nations are growing. So we have to grow too and we have to continue with whatever we are doing that we think will make us good and strong,” Keshi told Goal.
“Our game against the Congo national team was not bad. Two good sides played the match and I think in the second half we could have had more goals. We lost some chances in the second half but I give glory to God that we got the three points we needed in this match.”
Nigeria welcome Bafana Bafana to Uyo in Wednesday’s must-win final Group A game.
“As regards the last qualifying match against South Africa, Nigerians should pray for us, they should pray for the players and they should be patient and they should come out en masse to support their team to win the match. They should pray for the boys to be in good health and that they should respond well in the match,” Keshi urged.
Re-appointed Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has not yet been given a new contract by the Nigeria Football Federation. Indeed, discussion on new contract has not been reopened, informed sources have said.
Keshi Credit: vanguard
Keshi has been in the shadows since his infamous reinstatement as Super Eagles head coach as we gathered he was still trying to straighten certain aspects of his continuous stay with the team before the resumption of the 2015 Afcon qualifiers camp today
The ‘Big Boss’, as he is fondly called was conspicuously absent from the touchline during the international friendly between Ghana U-23 team, the Black Meteors and the home-based Super Eagles at the commissioning of the new Akwa Ibom International Stadium in Uyo on Friday. He however made a surprise appearance during the medal presentation ceremony to receive his medal.
“There’s no contract offer at the moment, it could be revisited at the end of the Nations Cup qualifiers,” an NFF official said in Abuja, at the weekend.
“The decision to allow him finish the qualifications came from above [the presidency], he is working based on a previous arrangement agreed after the World Cup,” the source continued
The 52-year-old is paying the price for poor results in qualification for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations but he was given a chance to make amends following the intervention of the presidency.
Nigeria face Congo and South Africa in the coming days, needing two wins to stand a chance of making it to the 2015 tournament.
Ex-international Ndubuisi Okosieme, on Saturday advised the Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, to listen and work on constructive criticisms from the Nigeria Football Federation and football enthusiasts.
Okosieme said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Lagos.
The former ACB of Lagos winger, advised Keshi to give room to players that have shown consistency in their various clubs.
“We understand that Keshi wants to win just like any coach, but he needs to pay attention to players like Obafemi Martins, he has been doing so well at his club side.
“Martins and some other players have shown consistency over time that should not be taken for granted, they should be invited, everyone deserves an opportunity.
“Keshi also has to listen to constructive criticisms, no man is an island, and the ability to work on criticisms is what makes us a better person.
“All the advice offered to him can’t be wrong totally, all he needs to do is to filter what he considers to be true from what is not, and things will get better,” Okosieme said.
The former El- Kanem Warrior player also charged the NFA not to relent in its bid to develop football at all levels.
“The NFF should ensure that they don’t neglect football development at all levels, I’m sure that by so doing our football will thrive more and we will have developmental progress at all cardres,” he added.
Super Eagles Head Coach Stephen Keshi yesterday warned that he will not be interested in talking about out-of-favour striker, Ikechukwu Uche who is yet to play for the national team since after the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) win.
Keshi Credit: vanguard
A visibly angry Keshi said that he will never beg any player to play for the country because during his time he was never begged by any coach to play for the national team.
The former national team captain who was explaining why he chose to invite young and inexperienced players while ignoring established players like
Uche and Obafemi Martins, Keshi said hence forth he would not entertain any question about Uche again.
“This will be the last time I will speak about Ike Uche and I will not speak about him again, we are not quarreling. Before the match against Congo, i gave them the list because I never thought I will come back to handle the team. I told them I will not do the list because I am not your coach they say no, so I did the list.
“Ike Uche’s name was in the 24-man list. He didn’t even know about it, I did not tell him. Uche called me four days later and I was like ah, we spoke and that was it.
The next time I told the team secretary to ask the players if they had South African visa and if they don’t have it so that they can get the visa. When Uche was asked, he said why are you asking me, what do you need my passport for? I hate to speak without Uche not being here. You can call him and put it on speaker, if I’m telling lies let him say it.
“Please nobody should ask me about Uche again; Uche said he wants somebody to explain to him why they said he was a bad kid, and if not he is not playing. I said ok take his name out. I am not going to beg Uche, I’m not going to ask Daniel to beg Uche. We all played for this country for twenty something years and nobody begged us to play. We were begging to play. So let it be the end today, don’t ask me about Uche. Why not encourage the kids who have come here to play for their country. Why must it be Ike Uche, is it only him, Obafemi is not saying anything, we have hundreds of other players who are not here,” Keshi warned.
He also admonished the media to support the young players who are eager to play for the country instead of always talking of Uche.
“I don’t know when we will be appreciated, we win, they say we didn’t play well, we lose they say ah, kill them and we draw, they say they are bad players. We really don’t know where we stand, when will we be appreciated?”.
Many analysts have been calling for the recall of Uche after the poor start of the Super Eagles to the 2015 Morocco AFCON qualifiers.
