Keshi, Amodu: time to blame the NFF again

One of the first reactions when players or coaches pass on in Nigeria, especially high profile ones, is to blame the Nigeria Football Federation for not taking care of those who served the nation.

Last week's double tragedy of losing both Stephen Keshi and Amodu Shuaibu, provided yet another opportunity for NFF bashing to add to a recent story of the abandonment of the Kate Rashidi Yekini and his family.

After Amodu's death, it emerged that he was being owed wages. Former international Idah Peterside revealed on Twitter that the late coach had told him a few days to his death, that he was owed 7 month's wages as NFF Technical Director.

NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi countered by claiming it was two months wages, same as was being owed other members of the federation's secretariat team.

Seven month, two months, it matters little. But provided further fuel for a fire that continues to be stoked regardless.

Without a doubt, and while there may be extenuating circumstances, the NFF must and should take responsibility for paying its staff wages on time. The consequences of not doing so, within a regulatory system which oversees an ecosystem where match-fixing is an ever present danger with potentially far reaching effects, can be dangerous.

But that is where the point of convergence with blaming the NFF ends. And where that of holding the players and coaches association to account begins.

Contrary to popular opinion, the federation is not responsible for either the welfare or well-being of past players and coaches. Its responsibility is to oversee and regulate football within its territory and organise matches for the country's representative teams.

Those other responsibilities fall within the purview of the player and coaches associations. These two bodies, unfortunately, have fallen short of meeting their obligations. 

For years, there was sharp and bitter division between the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) and the breakaway NFF-recognised Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria (APFON).

This splintering meant that players had no real representation, with both bodies consumed by the battle for survival. As a result, even the serving players trusted neither enough to want to be associated with them.

During my time as Nigeria Officer, I remember APFON official Austin Popo come into the team camp to give out membership forms for the players to fill. Not many took it seriously and the majority of those forms were left behind at the hotel.

While the story with the coaches association was not one of division, there is a clear lack of distinct strategy.

A recent report stated that 70 per cent of Nigerian coaches are hypertensive. Although the veracity of that figure is questionable, there is little doubt that health care should take priority among past players and coaches.

And this is where the respective associations, and not the NFF, must play their part. They can do so by first unifying their respective bodies, a process that has thankfully already begun, especially with NANF and APFON.

Next step should be identifying the core needs of their members. Past experience suggests that healthcare would top that list of needs. Which means that their next step should be to develop strategic partnerships with health care providers in the country, and ensure that their members make the regular, mandatory contributions that guarantees them effective coverage.

And then there is the issue of wages. Clubs and the national federation are guilty of owing wages. So far, only the League Management Company have taken concrete steps to ensure that players and coaches get paid.

Rather than continue to be paper tigers that snarl on occasion, both the players union and coaches association must present one strong, unified voice to ensure their members are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Blaming the NFF at every turn has not and will not help.

Keshi Tribute. Football's alchemist

Keshi has a knack for making ordinary players play above their level

It is debatable whether or not Stephen Keshi could have achieved this level of greatness if it were not for the convergence of circumstances early in his career.

Called up to the national team by Chris Udemezue, Keshi led a group of players who infuriated officialdom by refusing to turn up. And their reasons were simple. Players were expected to spend upwards of two months at the national camp at the peak of the season, and with decisive league and FA Cup games looming.

NFA Chairman Anthony Ikhazoboh slammed a 6-month ban on the players, forcing Keshi to move to Ivory Coast, where he joined Stade Abidjan and then Africa Sport, captaining both clubs before leaving for Belgium to join Lokeren.

His leadership qualities stood him out and he made the big move go giants Anderlecht and later Strasbourg in France.

Keshi was not the first African player to move to Europe. But he was the one who ensured he opened the floodgates for others. Recommending this player to that club, another to a different club.

And as his teammates would say, Keshi kept in touch with every player, sometimes even calling a player's coach to find out why he was not playing his teammate.

It was easy to see why he held such control over the national team, which he captained for 11 years. Players found Keshi easy to gravitate to, but he was as good a friend as he Was formidable an opponent.

Getting on his wrong side was never a good idea.

His force of character drove the Super Eagles to Nations Cup victory in 1994, and World Cup qualification not long after. And while his waning powers meant he was not guaranteed minutes at the World Cup, his leadership and long service guaranteed he would be on the plane. And he was.

Not many great players turn out to be good managers. Keshi was among the few who carried in their greatness from the pitch to the bench.

Drifting into coaching in error rather than design, he worked as assistant to Dutchman Jo Bonfrere, who himself was assistant to Clemens Westerhof when Keshi lifted that Nations Cup in 94.

He returned as assistant to Shuaibu Amodu and helped guide Nigeria to World Cup qualification in 2002, before war broke out between the team and the media leading to the sack of the coaching crew, and some of the senior players in the squad.

Keshi took his talents to Togo, and stunned the world by qualifying the tiny nation for the 2006 World Cup. He was not allowed to lead them there however, after a rift with star player Emmanuel Adebayor meant he was cut loose.

His next stop was Mali, but their Nations Cup adventure did not quite go as planned and Keshi was called to take up the Nigeria job when Samson Siasia was fired.

If his exploits with Togo were considered a fluke, with Nigeria he proved he was football's alchemist, turning base players into golden boys.

In talent, his 2013 Super Eagles team would rank well outside the top 10 of previous iterations, but he instilled self belief and tactical ingenuity to guide them to the title and become only the second man to win the title as player and coach.

Controversial he may have been. Political he most certainly was. But Keshi was as great a coach as he was a player. And unlike others, he proved himself with three different countries.

His constant battles with the federation would ultimately cost him his job with Nigeria. But he remained loved by the fans and the players he led, both serving and retired.

Keshi denies CIV link

Stephen Keshi has denied applying for the Ivory Coast job

Stephen Keshi on Tuesday did what his agent, in a long winded statement, failed to do: denied applying for the Côte d'Ivoire job.

Keshi appeared before the NFF's Disciplinary Committee to defend himself after the Ivorien federation included his name in a list of 59 to replace Herve Renard.

A member of the committee told ColinUdoh.com that the coach categorically denied applying for the Côte d'Ivoire job.

"He insisted very strongly that he did not apply for the job," the committee member said.

Following Keshi's denial, the NFF are now expected to write to their Ivorien counterparts to demand an explanation for trying to poach a coach with a running contract. 

NFF sources say unless Côte d'Ivoire provide a satisfactory explanation, or proof that Keshi did indeed apply, they would be forced to report the Ivoriens to CAF and FIFA for poaching.

In the event that FIF show evidence that Keshi did indeed apply, his job could be in jeopardy. Both for applying for another job when he has just signed a fresh contract, and for lying to the committee.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles captain Vincent Enyeama failed to appear before the committee to defend himself against comments he made regarding the security situation in Kaduna prior to the Nation's Cup qualifier against Chad.

Despite his absence, sources say the goalkeeper is likely to get off lightly, with just an apology.

Keshi's CIV response leaves more questions than answers

 

Keshi is listed number 20 on the list of applicants for the CIV coaching job

Over the weekend, Côte d'Ivoire published a list of 59 candidates who they claim had applied to replace Herve Renard as coach of the Elephants.

Nigerians were left bewildered by one inclusion on the list, Stephen Keshi. 

It has been barely two months since Keshi signed a new, two-year contract to coach the Super Eagles, so it came as something of a head scratcher to find his name on that list.

With the NFF launching an investigation, Keshi's manager Emmanuel Ado quickly out out a statement on Facebook. The statement, published in full below, is a case study in artful deception

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Following calls by some journalists that my client Mr. Stephen Keshis' and others like Giovanni Trapttoni,Raymond Domenech etc have been short listed by the Cote D'Ivoire Football federation to replace former coach Herve Renard,I will like to make the following statements.

1. My client is very happy with his job as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria.He has a two year contract with the Nigeria Football Federation.And as a professional,he will see out his contract.

2. My client feels highly honored to be short listed by Cote D'Ivore- a great footballing country.Like you all know he has a very good relationship with Cote D'Ivore since his playing days.It is a relationship that he cherishes and would continue to cherish all the days of his life.

3.We want to use this opportunity to call on all stakeholders and indeed all Nigerians to deny enemies of peace the chance they are looking for to cause distractions.We don't need these distractions.

Once more my thanks to the journalists that we're professional in their job.

God bless
Emma Ado

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With little more than a discerning eye, it is clear that this Facebook statement is nothing more than a smokescreen.

Let's scratch a little below the surface of the three items in Mr Ado's statements

ITEM 1: Nobody denies the fact that Stephen Keshi has a two-year contract with the NFF. That is fact. Whether he is happy with it it, is something only Keshi and Ado know for certain.

But even if he is, that knowledge has been called into question by that Ivory Coast list. And here's why.

First, the statement on the CIV website clearly states that 'after the June 15 deadline for submission of applications, 59 applicants have INDICATED THEIR INTENTIONS (emphasis mine) to the Ivorien Football Federation.'

Keshi is listed among those 59 applicants. What Mr Ado should have done is tell us whether or not Keshi (or someone on his behalf, like Mr Ado, for instance) submitted an application to CIV indicating any such intentions. And when any such application was submitted.

That is the key question that Mr Ado neither confirmed nor (and more importantly) denied.

ITEM 2: This is just muddying the waters and adds absolutely nothing by way of enlightenment.

There are many others who played in CIV and have good relationships with the country. It doesn't mean they will be shortlisted for a job.

Again, the key question goes unanswered: Did Keshi apply to coach CIV by the deadline of June 15, 2015 or not?

ITEM 3: Even more water-muddying. 

Who are the 'enemies of peace' who are 'looking for to (sic) cause distractions'? 

Assuming they exist, did the 'enemies of peace' apply for the CIV job on Keshi's behalf?

In the same vein, did the same 'enemies of peace' publish Keshi's name on the official website of the Côte d'Ivoire football federation?

And again, why has Ado not done the simple thing, which is deny or confirm whether or not Keshi applied for the job by the June 15, 2015 deadline set by FIF.

Finally, Ado could not resist taking a dig at the media by thanking the "journalists that we're (sic) professional in their job".

This is intended as a low blow. Unfortunately, it ends up with Ado himself. Who were the journalists who were not 'professional on their job.'?

Could it be the ones who reported seeing Keshi's name on the shortlist of applicants for another job while the ink was barely dry on his current one?

Or did Ado expect the media to look at the shortlist, see Keshi's name and pretend like it wasn't there?

Just to be clear, Ado needs to categorically CONFIRM or DENY whether or not his client applied to coach CIV. And if he did, when exactly did he do so?

And to help him out, here's the question: Mr Emmanuel Ado, did Stephen Keshi (or someone representing him) send in an application to indicate interest in coaching CIV on or before the June 15, 2015 submission deadline? 

That is the only question here. A simple 'yes' or 'no' will suffice as an answer. Everything else is just smoke and mirrors.

UPDATE: In an email on Monday afternoon, a FIF official said 'the agent of Stephen Keshi sent his candidacy at Thursday, June 11, 2015'