23rd June, 2012
Taiwo Adelu
Chief Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi, has declared that there are no big boys in his team.
Keshi, who recently led the Eagles to the next round of 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, disclosed that all the players in the senior national team are equal in status irrespective of the leagues the players are plying their trades.
“Big boys? No, not in my own team,” said Keshi, who was fondly called ‘The Big Boss’ during his playing days in the Eagles.
“I don’t see any of the players as a big boy because no player is superior to the other.
“Though some of them may have been opportune to play in Europe and other parts of the world, that privilege doesn’t make them superior or above the others when we are in the camp here in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is blessed with a lot of good players who are ready to play their hearts out for this country. But if we continue to call everybody for the rebuilding process of the Eagles, we won’t have time to get an established team and we don’t have the luxury of that time now,” he said.
Keshi however commended the players who featured for Nigeria in the last four competitive games since he took over as Chief Coach of the Eagles.
“I want to commend them for playing to instructions. This shows that we are heading somewhere in our plan to build a new squad for Nigeria,” he said.