Abuja (NAN) – The National Sports Commission (NSC) on
Tuesday confirmed that Super Eagles’ coach Stephen Keshi has
agreed to resume work preparatory to Nigeria’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations
(AFCON) qualifiers.
A statement in Abuja by Patrick Omorodion, the
Special Adviser on Media to the NSC Chairman, Tammy Danagogo, said
Keshi’s decision was based on Danagogo’s intervention.
It said the intervention by Danagogo, who is also the Sports
Minister, followed the prolonged negotiation between Keshi and the Nigeria
Football Association (NFA).
“Keshi has agreed to carry on with the job because of his
love for the team Super Eagles, the country Nigeria and because of my
intervention.
“My intervention was however necessitated by the prolonged
negotiation between him and the NFA.
“So, he will go on with his job as Super Eagles’ coach while
the negotiation continues and the contract finally approved and signed,’’
Danagogo was quoted as saying.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Emmanuel
Ado, an aide of Keshi, had on Monday revealed the existence of the
agreement between the Minister and the coach. Continue
He had said Keshi agreed to work with the team ahead of
Nigeria’s opening Group A matches against Congo and South Africa in the
qualifiers.
The matches are slated for Sept. 6 at home in Calabar
against Congo, and Sept. 10 away in South Africa.
NAN reports that Keshi’s two-and-a-half-year contract had
expired after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Hence, renewal talks had become necessary and urgent in view
of Super Eagles’ qualifying matches scheduled for Sept. 6 to Nov. 19.
But the wrangling among board members of the NFA had kept
the issues surrounding the contract renewal to remain unresolved until Danagogo
stepped in.
Nigeria had been drawn alongside South Africa, Congo and
Sudan in the qualifiers for the 2015 AFCON slated to hold in Morocco next
January.
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