The former Eagles skipper’s contract lapsed at the end of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and was not offered an extension due to his signaling that he seeks a new challenge elsewhere as a crisis engulfed the NFF immediately after Nigeria’s ouster from the world cup.
After much wrangling, the dust seems to have settled as Super Eagles Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi show readiness to accept Nigeria Football Federation’s final offer of N7million monthly salary plus an official house in Abuja and a car. Keshi had complained that his previous contract also involved a car but that was never fulfilled even though it was part of the deal when he was in charge of the national teams of Togo and Mali as coach.
The former Eagles skipper’s contract lapsed at the end of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and was not offered an extension due to his signaling that he seeks new coaching challenge elsewhere as a crisis engulfed the NFF immediately after Nigeria’s ouster from the world cup.
The three-man committee set up by the NFF to negotiate with the Keshi submitted their report yesterday, and any moment from now, NFF's Acting President, Mike Umeh, will convene a meeting of the NFF Emergency Committee to approve the details of Keshi’s re–engagement as Super Eagles Coach for another four years.
Keshi’s new deal is still a bit below the N8.5million monthly pocketed by former Swedish Coach Lars Lagerback (Who was Super Eagles last foreign coach). Lagerback led the Super Eagles to Nigeria’s worst ever performance in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
It will be an immense turnaround after Keshi gave a serious hint that he was done with the Eagles job in his first interview during the World Cup in Brasilia just after the France defeated Nigeria. When asked if he has resigned; he answered 'yes", saying: "Yes. I have done my bit. I am tired of all the intrigues and backbiting and insinuations I get."
His relationship with the Nigeria Football Federation hasn’t been cozy due to a perceived lack of respect for indigenous coaches by Nigerian soccer administrators.
The former Anderlecht player was highly tipped as the next South African coach before SAFA on Saturday named Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba as head coach of the Bafana Bafana.