Winning CHAN 2014’ll Be Tough — Keshi

Coach Stephen Keshi who will lead Nigeria’s B team to the African Nations Championship, CHAN, billed for South Africa next year has admitted that it would be tough for Nigeria to lift the coveted trophy.

The former Hawks of Togo coach wrote his name in history books early February in the same South Africa as the first Nigerian to lift the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, both as a coach and player when the senior team defeated the Stallions of Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final.

Coach Keshi went on to make history again as he succeeded in qualifying Nigeria for the first time for the CHAN after two failed attempts and he confessed that winning the tourney would be a herculean task for him and his wards.

Speaking from Abuja on a radio station monitored in Lagos State, the former Eagles of Mali coach said: “To win the CHAN in South Africa is going to be tough; apart from that, we are still experimenting as we are yet to have a blend of the players.”

While flaying the failure of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to organise Grade A friendly matches to help fine tune his team ahead of the tourney, he said he would leave nothing to chance to ensure that they perform creditably well.

A director of the Technical Department of the NFF, Emmanuel Ikpeme responded to Keshi, stressing that there is no room for Grade A friendly matches but assured the coach of having the opportunity to play some football clubs in the Glo Premier League.

—Adebobola Alawode