KESHI WITHDRAWS HIS RESIGNATION..and i'm glad he did. Why? Pls read on..

KESHI WITHDRAWS HIS RESIGNATION: ...and i'm very glad he did because we NEED him now. I'm also very happy he made the resignation move. People in authority (and that includes the presidency i believe) have appealed to him to continue. Part of his grouse was mainly the way he'd been treated leading up to his Afcon Cup success. Stories abound of unpaid wages, unpaid accommodation costs, no official car/driver, continuous threat of the sack if he didn't get the Eagles into the SF of Afcon2013 and add the pressure from his enemies in the NFA/NFF - that's the story of sports administration (and pretty much everything else) in Nigeria.

Would a foreign coach be treated this way? Our previous foreign coaches include Father Tiko, Otto Gloria, Bonfere Jo, Clemence Westerhoff, Bora Milutinovic and Berti Vogts. I suggest an average of all their salaries is calculated and paid to Stephen Keshi and subsequent Nigerian Super Eagles coaches (plus all accompanying allowances and perks) cos charity they say begins at home. That is one of the ways he can command respect in the dressing room and globally.

Govt must also stop intervening directly in sports admin. I still remember President Goodluck suspending the Super Eagles from international competition for two years because of its poor showing at the 2010 world cup.. before the ban was quickly rescinded. This suspension put the team at risk of being banned from international football by FIFA for reasons of political interference. Today, he's their No1 fan. Let those qualified and appointed to do a job have free reign.

...and to all those who have made financial promises of gifts to the victorious Super Eagles, i hope they keep to their pledges. Many such pledges made especially by govt to the victorious 1994 Afcon winning team (which incidentally was captained by Stephen Keshi) were never met. So you all will understand where he's coming from. I also look forward to the day someone like Segun Odegbami will be the minister of sports in Nigeria. That's someone who is globally recognised as a successful and proven sports personality in his playing days and we need to start appointing such people to manage Nigerian sports. Qualification for the World cup Brazil 2014 is the next hurdle for the Super Eagles and i wish them the best.

PRESS STATEMENT BY STEPHEN KESHI

My attention has been drawn to reports in the media that I have resigned my appointment as the Head Coach of Super Eagles of Nigeria.

While I have had cause to express my displeasure over some issues that happened in the course of our participation in the AFCON 2013, which my team won by the grace of God, especially concerning my relationship with the Nigerian Football Federation, I have since had opportunity to discuss the various issues with all concerned. I am therefore pleased to say that I have reconsidered my position and have decided to continue with my job.

I want to thank the Honourable Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, for his swift and kind intervention.


SIGNED

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi

12th February, 2013