The Nigeria Football Federation will decide on the future of AFCON winning coach Stephen Keshi before the end of the week.
"I told the senate that within 10 days and by God’s grace within the next three days this thing (Keshi’s appointment or not) would be completed," NFF president Amaju Pinnick told the Vanguard on Wednesday.
While Keshi's future remains unclear at this juncture, the NFF has made it painstakingly clear that it would not be held to ransom by the Africa Cup of Nations winning coach. If and when the federation does offer Keshi a new contract, he will have just two options available to him - accept or be gone.
"It’s either he is in or he is not in," added Pinnick.
"I told the senate that within 10 days and by God’s grace within the next three days this thing (Keshi’s appointment or not) would be completed," NFF president Amaju Pinnick told the Vanguard on Wednesday.
While Keshi's future remains unclear at this juncture, the NFF has made it painstakingly clear that it would not be held to ransom by the Africa Cup of Nations winning coach. If and when the federation does offer Keshi a new contract, he will have just two options available to him - accept or be gone.
"It’s either he is in or he is not in," added Pinnick.
"So we are not saying 100% that it is Keshi. We are not saying that I can assure you 100%. It can be other persons.
"It can only be Keshi provided he accepts 100% the contract we have offered him. If he doesn’t accept it, then I can tell you right away that he is not going to be our coach," said the NFF president.
In late 2014, Keshi still had a few bargaining chips at his disposal and one of them was the prospect of being appointed as the coach of the South Africa national team. However, all the posts that were vacant and available to Keshi at the time have now been filled and that has created somewhat of a predicament for the outspoken Nigerian coach.
"Now if Keshi says for example that one clause in that contract is not good for him, it means he doesn’t want the job, so we can now open it and look for other coaches that are ready to coach Nigeria.
"Like I have said before, I will say again, if Keshi decided not to accept the contract, we are not going to change the contract for any other person we want to employ because to us what is good for the goose is good for the gander," said Pinnick.
The Nigeria national team will play international friendly matches against South African and Bolivia later this month and the man who will be tasked with overseeing the squad for both matches is current caretaker Daniel Amokachi.
"It can only be Keshi provided he accepts 100% the contract we have offered him. If he doesn’t accept it, then I can tell you right away that he is not going to be our coach," said the NFF president.
In late 2014, Keshi still had a few bargaining chips at his disposal and one of them was the prospect of being appointed as the coach of the South Africa national team. However, all the posts that were vacant and available to Keshi at the time have now been filled and that has created somewhat of a predicament for the outspoken Nigerian coach.
"Now if Keshi says for example that one clause in that contract is not good for him, it means he doesn’t want the job, so we can now open it and look for other coaches that are ready to coach Nigeria.
"Like I have said before, I will say again, if Keshi decided not to accept the contract, we are not going to change the contract for any other person we want to employ because to us what is good for the goose is good for the gander," said Pinnick.
The Nigeria national team will play international friendly matches against South African and Bolivia later this month and the man who will be tasked with overseeing the squad for both matches is current caretaker Daniel Amokachi.
By: Farai Diza
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