Keshi Vows To Sanction Erring Eagles

Super Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, has declared that any invited local player that fails to turn up at the team’s camp in Abuja by tomorrow will have himself to blame as he vowed to wield the big stick.

Keshi has invited 30 domestic league players to camp as he begins the rebuilding process of the senior national team. They were expected to report at the Bolton White Apartments Hotel in Abuja yesterday, but as at this morning, only few of the players have reported to the venue.

While reacting to the late arrival of players to camp early this morning on Brila FM, Keshi insisted that tomorrow is the deadline for the arrival of players as the team’s preparations for the 2013 Nations Cup qualifiers begin in earnest in Abuja.

“We need to prepare very well and blend as a team before the Rwanda match, hence the need for the players to arrive camp latest tomorrow. Time is not on our side and I am sure by the time we allow the players to go back to their clubs, we would have achieved a lot,” he said.

Although Keshi would not disclose the type of punishment that awaits any player that arrives late to camp, but going by his antecedents such player should expect a stiff sanction for disobeying the order of the ‘Big Boss’, as Keshi is fondly called in his playing days.

All invited 30 local players were drawn from 12 Premier League clubs, with the exception of National Youth Service Corps member, Stephen Morah, a 22-year old graduate of Industrial Chemistry from the University of Jos, who was discovered by Keshi at the NYSC Games a couple of weeks ago.

The home based players’ camping is expected to run till 16 January, 2012 as part of the build up to the qualifiers.

—Bamidele Olowosagba