Keshi, Amuneke is best Super Eagles options

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi

*I DREAMT MAIGARI’S NFF WILL BE SACKED IN DAYS

Why are we considering in the mathematics our loud-mouthed self-aggrandising ex-international brother, Sunday Oliseh, who offered himself as the coach of the Super Eagles? Methinks, since he has the UEFA ‘A’ license, yes, he is eminently qualified but I think he needs to learn some ropes to be good enough to manage the size of a team like the senior national team, the Super Eagles. Employing Oliseh is making the error of pushing Samson Siasia too early to perform fatherly role when he is avuncular.

If we are looking at Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, I won’t mind. He has paid his dues. He has learnt from the masters and has become a respected master. He has the charisma, the pedigree and the wherewithal to deliver. Some sinister crooks have started the stupid campaign that he has been out of job for some time. Bottomline: Does that take anything away from his skills as a coach?

If I have my way, the most qualified coach in the land is not even making noise. He is mercurial left winger, Emmanuel Amuneke. Many Nigerians will be shocked at my new twist. He is UEFA ‘A’ licensed since 2007. He is classmate and teammate of the coach of Barcelona FC of Spain, Pep Gourdiola. If I have my way, he will be a good acolyte under the tutelage of Keshi.

Will any of the backroom second grade foreign white skinned coaches they want to import be on a job and be available to be employed? No seasoned and good foreign coach will be available now for the Nigerian job. Even at that, he will start to learn what the Nigerian already knows. That is why the foreign coaches who have excelled coaching in Nigeria should be good enough to be allowed to also apply for the job, if Siasia will be sacked.

I think many people have forgotten or not realised that the qualifiers for the 2013 African Nations Cup will begin in January 2012. We need to fix the issue of the Super Eagles coach as quick as possible. If Siasia is to be sacked, it is the exclusive preserve of the illegal NFF. They better do it fast before they themselves are sacked.

Candidly, I don’t know what the NSC is doing. The sack of the board of the NFF should have been concluded. There are enough grounds to get them sacked. The options are there. There are a lot of legal routes existing. The Justice Abang judgment is still valid as confirmed by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. The investigation of the EFCC on the illegal sums they collected in the name of the NFA and spent as NFF is there. The new case of FIFA President, Sepp Blatter’s signature forgery is there. Too many options. My mind tells me something will happen to get the board legitimately sacked within the next 10 days.

I am readier to make Nigeria great again –Egbunike

*Thanks Sports Minister, DG NSC for faith in him

Innocent Egbunike is not a happy man. His vision and extreme love for Nigeria was misconstrued in the media. He was made to look like he has been given the job and that he does not want to work from the country.

Speaking from his base this morning, Egbunike said, “I had been working with a team of private sports consultants to establish Athletics Development centres in six states of the federation before the issue of the national team job came on board.

The former coach of USA and Qatar added, “Sports Minister, Yusuf Suleiman, during the Maputo All Africa Games, said that he would want me hired for the London 2012 and be given a long term contract so that we could develop Nigerian athletes again from the roots. He earned my utmost respect for the level of understanding he exhibited.”

The former 400m African record holder added, “I have always wanted to return home to contribute in training and developing our athletes. The present plan to offer me job to do this excites me,” Egbunike said.

“I was so thrilled when Onochie Anibeze called to correct the wrong impressions initially ran by a journalist. So, the question of my interest coming and living at home and working at home has never been in doubt. I’m ready to come home, live in Nigeria and work there.”

“I am so proud of the Director General, Chief Patrick Ekeji who invited me to observe the Nigerian athletes at the last All Africa Games. I have so great hope that things would be right again if the right things were done.

Egbunike contributed immensely to Nigeria’s silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the Sydney Olympics. “There’s a lot of work to be done at home and with the co-operation and support of everybody, we, as a team, will surmount the challenges. I want to state it that it’s not true that I don’t want to live in Nigeria. I had my plans to return to run a private athletics development programme which had already reached advanced stages before the offer of the national team is coming in. So, how would I have managed such a giant four-year project without being at home?” he said, adding “If I had plans to return home for my private project, that of the nation is a bigger calling would have made my home coming surer. My believe is no coach can be based abroad and succeed.”

Egbunike in another breathe said, “I hope to merge the initial programme we had worked out with the job of the national team if the ministry of sports finally offers him me the contract.