NFF to Keshi: Make Eagles’ playing style acceptable to all Nigerians

One of the conditions Coach Stephen Keshi must fulfill in his return to the Super Eagles is to build a team all football loving Nigerians must be proud of its playing style.

Keshi was unveiled as Eagles’ coach in Abuja on Tuesday, where he was handed another two-year contract. Before failing to qualify for the last AFCON in Equatorial Guinea, many Nigerians had fallen out of love with the Super Eagles following its colourless and poor pattern of play.

But NFF’s first Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi, has declared that Keshi must lead the redevelopment of a Nigerian Football culture through the discovery of new talented and exceptional players from the local leagues.

Akinwunmi said that despite the pressure created by a lot of ‘untruths and rumours’ peddled by sections of the public, the board remained resolute in its desire to think long term and to ensure that as administrators, the appointment of the Coach of the Super Eagles was part of a holistic strategy and not a knee jerk reaction to yearnings of the public.

“One of the biggest challenges we are giving him is to build upon the progress we are making with the U-20s and to ensure a seamless transition into the senior national team, the Super Eagles,” Akinwunmi said.

Meanwhile, the proprietor of Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun FC, a division One nationwide club based in Ikorodu, Lagos, Engineer Olamide Rasheed Balogun, has hailed NFF’s decision to re-engage Keshi as Super Eagles’ handler.

Balogun, who is also a stakeholder in the Akanni Teslim (Thunder) Balogun Foundation, told The Guardian yesterday that the NFF leadership under Amaju Pinnick has shown that they listen to the voice of Nigerians, who want the best for the senior national team.

However, Balogun, a supporter of grassroots football development in Lagos State, has called on Keshi to stand up to the challenges ahead of him.