NFF Owes Keshi 2 Months Salary

Chief Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi, has not been paid his salary by his employer, Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, since he took over from former coach, Samson Siasia, two months ago.

P.M Sports gathered from the national secretariat of the NFF in Abuja that Keshi is being owed N10million by the football authorities.

But the coach is not worried and has continued with his job without complaints, a situation that has impressed the leadership of the NFF.

The source told P.M.Sports that “Keshi has shown immense maturity and professionalism in spite of the fact that he has not been paid for the two months he has been in charge of the national team. He is not complaining and he has demonstrated to the board that he has a strong desire and patriotism to work for the cause of Nigeria.

“The NFF will definitely pay him; it is just that there has been a little delay. I am very sure that very soon he will be paid his salary arrears and every other financial delay will be taken care of.”

Keshi, who earns N5million monthly also confirmed during a chat with our correspondent that he has not been paid, stressing that he has no doubt that he will be paid soon.

“I have not been paid my salary for two months. I know I will be paid so it does not affect me regarding my job as the chief coach of the national team. It is just a little sacrifice which will not last long before everything will be sorted out,” Keshi said.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in Nigerian football today brainstormed at the 67th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, holding at the Royal Tropicana Suites in Kaduna.

The chairmen of the football associations in the various states of the federation gathered to review Nigerian football in the last one year.

Chairman of the Enugu State Football Association, Chidi Okenwa, said that developmental football is top on the agenda at the meeting.

“We would look at developmental football at the meeting. We will like to fashion out how we can develop our age grade teams in the country. Age grade football is very important and we are going to lay emphasis on it,” said Okenwa.

Executive board member of NFF, Shehu Adamu, said they will be reviewing the state of Nigerian football in the outgoing year and seek a way forward.

Adamu said: “The focal point of discussion will be the assessment of our performance in 2011 in terms of football development and how well the country football had moved forward or otherwise throughout the year under review. We will also take a look at the areas we performed below expectations and see how we can perform better in the new year.”

—Francis Achi/Abuja