NFF Approve Keshi’s Return -Technical Committee Accepts Amodu’s plea -Amaju Pinnick Says Board Has No Objection Top officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have pout a stamp of authority to the reported directive from President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that Stephen Keshi should be allowed back as Super Eagles head coach. Although the development appeared like a ruse when the news first emerged late Thursday, NFF president, Melvin Amaju Pinnick has now opened up that he and other members of the federation’s executive have no objection to the directive. In the same vein, NFF’s technical committee has also accepted to have Keshi back but, in an apparent effort to avoid any talk of government interference in the matter, they have ascribed the move as an acceptance of a plea by initial interim coach, Shaibu Amodu. In effect, Keshi has now been cleared to take charge of the Eagles’ last two matchers of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, after which the NFF would consider possibility of a new contract for him. Amodu appeared to have paved way for Keshi’s return when the 56-year-old four-time Eagles coach pleaded in a letter dated 27th October, 2014 and addressed to Pinnick through the NFF technical committee chairman, that The Big Boss should be reconsidered, as the time frame was too short to tinker with the fabric of the squad or start to build a new one altogether.“As Technical Director of the NFF, I am ready and willing to help build a better relationship among Keshi (with whom I have enjoyed good working relationship in the past and who is still very close to me), the players and the NFF Technical Committee,” Amodu wrote, inter alia. In response, technical Committee chairman, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu said on Friday that he and his members have accepted the plea and forwarded same to Pinnick, who responded by saying he has no objection to the proposal. “We have deliberated on Coach Amodu’s letter, and after speaking to my committee members, we decided to accept it and informed the NFF President of our approval,” Anyansi-Agwu stated. On his part, Pinnick said: “I have never had anything against Keshi as a person. Amodu is someone we all respect and since that is his opinion and the technical committee has approved, so be it. “I have always said that the work of the committees will not be interfered with. We will give the committees the independence to do their work for optimum results. “ I am also assuring Nigerians at home and abroad that the NFF will give Keshi all the necessary support to successfully prosecute the two very crucial final matches of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.”
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 18:50:05 +0000
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