Ex-Eagle To Nigerians: Don’t Expect Keshi Miracle

Former Super Eagles’ defender, Patrick Ovie, has told soccer-loving Nigerians not to expect the newly appointed head coach of the team, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, to perform miracle as he resumes duty.

Ovie, who was part of the Coach Amodu Shuaibu-led Eagles, said the task ahead of Keshi is enormous, hence the need for Nigerians to give him enough time to settle down in his new position.

“I will advise the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, and Nigerians to take it easy with our new coach. Though Keshi is not new to Nigerian football, this is the first time he will be fully in charge of the Super Eagles and he needs time to settle down,” he said on Brila FM today.

“It will be unfair for Nigerians to start assessing and judging Keshi with the results of a couple of matches the Eagles will play under him because we can’t expect him to start performing magic with the team immediately. It will take some time before he familiarises himself with the new environment and the politics of Nigerian football,” said the ex-Shooting Stars Sports Club, 3SC of Ibadan star.

The former Dynamo Moscow of Russia player, who is a son-in-law to Coach Kadiri Ikhana, added that he expects the former Hawks of Togo coach to succeed in his new job, having made his mark with some other African nations in the past.

He said: “For Keshi to have qualified Togo for the Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup even though he could not lead them to the Mundial and the fact that he did well with the Malian national team, I have no doubt that he will perform well with Nigeria’s Super Eagles under a conducive atmosphere.”

Meanwhile, a member of the Executive Committee of the NFF, Dr. Shehu Adamu has revealed that the football governing body expects no excuse from Keshi as he settles down with the Eagles.

Adamu said that Keshi’s contract is clear on what the NFF expects from him, adding that he is expected to carry out these contractual obligations as the football authority is ready to fulfill its own.

—Bamidele Olowosagba