Keshi’s Reign As Eagles’ Coach, So Far, Yet So Far

Stephen Keshi’s new assignment as Super Eagles Chief Coach conjures anticipation and excitement, but will Nigerians be patient enough for his rebuilding process of the team to work?

As at November 2011, when Keshi grabbed the senior national team from his former teammate, Samson Siasia, it was obvious the country had a very weak team in place. The  team’s condition was so terrible that they failed to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The woeful result ended Siasia’s tenure,  and Keshi came on board as the new messiah.

However, the ‘Big Boss’, as Keshi is fondly called by his colleagues, is about eight months old in the saddle, but the Eagles are yet to get near what could be described as an average team.The results of matches played so far by the team attest to the fact that Keshi still has a long way to go.

Keshi, who won the now rested West African Club Championship as a player with the New Nigeria Bank FC in 1983 and 1984, began his reign as coach of the ‘new look’ Eagles with a draw against Botswana in an international friendly tie played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, Edo State in November 2011.

He also recorded a draw against Angola in an international friendly match at the Abuja National Stadium, before recording a resounding 2-0 victory against reigning African champions, Zambia in another friendly match played in Kaduna, Nigeria before the African Cup of Nations in January this year.

After the tie, Keshi led the team to Monrovia, where the Eagles defeated the Lone Star of Liberia 2-0 in a tune up match for their crucial Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Kigali. The first leg of the knock out tie of the qualifier ended in a goalless draw.

Keshi’s employers, not satisfied with the average performance of the Eagles, urged the coach to play against  tougher opponents to test the players. The team then had their hands full when they confronted the Pharaohs of Egypt, losing the friendly tie 3-2.

The Eagles also lost their last friendly game by a lone goal to Peru in Lima, and struggled to defeat Namibia 1-0 in the first World Cup qualifier in Calabar two weeks ago.

Only last weekend in Blantyre, the Eagles blew a great opportunity to snatch an away victory in their Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Malawi.

Gabriel Reuben, one of Keshi’s new boys, had scored a brilliant goal in the 89th minute of the encounter, only for the Eagles to open up their rear for a gutsy Malawian side to equalise 1-1 in the added time of the tie.

What happened to the Eagles in Blantyre showed the trait of a team in progress, as they lost focus when they needed to stand firm to their lead. After that match, the Eagles now have four points and maintain a top spot in their World Cup qualifying group.

But, come Saturday, the team will be under severe pressure when they face the Amavubi of Rwanda in a must win return leg tie of the 2013 Nations Cup qualifier in Calabar.

Having drawn the first leg 0-0 in Kigali, Nigeria now walk a tight rope as any score draw in Calabar this weekend, would certainly rule the Eagles out the African Cup of Nations Cup for the second consecutive time within two years.

While many are in support of Keshi’s rebuilding process, some critics say are not comfortable with his preference for fielding many players from the Nigeria Premier League, NPL.

Barrister Godwin Dudu Orumen, had expressed fears that Keshi’s approach to building a new team for Nigeria may back fire. The football critic wondered why players from the local league should form the larger part of the Eagles, arguing: “Why should players from our league out-number other Nigerian professional players abroad?

“These were the same set of players who failed to qualify for two consecutive editions of the CAF African Championships, meant for players plying their trade on their home front. I feel we need our best players to prosecute top games and I don’t believe in Keshi’s over reliance on home-based players at this crucial time,” Orumen said.

Expectedly, Keshi, who has tried the same approach when he was in charge of the Hawks of Togo and Malian senior national team, has hit back at his critics. The coach pointed at the defeat of Liberia’s national team and Eagles’ victory against Namibia as a sign of better things to come for the Nigerian side.

The former Anderlecht of Belgium player believes he should be praised for adopting an approach, which his predecessors could not try during their reigns as Nigeria’s coach.

“I believe in fielding a mix of players from the Nigeria Premier League with their compatriots plying their trades in foreign leagues. I have done it in Togo and Mali, it worked for me, so this one will lead us somewhere,” Keshi said amidst optimism that this Saturday’s game against Rwanda will prove his approach right.

The players themselves are talking. “Those who have written us off will soon celebrate us. Our resolve is to defeat Rwanda on Saturday and brighten our chances of qualifying for the next stage of the Nations Cup,” John Utaka and other players chorused on arrival from Blantyre eearly this week.

Eagles have sounded it loud, that come saturday, they Like wounded Eagles hosting Warriors in their nest, the Eagles went into the game feasting on Warriors from the very blast of the whistle but they couldn’t break the resilience of the visitors until the dying minutes of the tie before they could score the lone goal that gave them the three points.

Under Keshi, it is believed that Eagles have been blowing hot and cold because football analysts have argued that whenever it matters most for the team to deliver it is then they falter.

Going into last weekend’s World Cup qualifier against Malawi in Blantyre people thought that the team was going to make minced meat of the hosts but the tie ended in a 1-1 score draw.

The match ended 1-1, with the Super Eagles taking the lead with a minute left in regulation time at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, only to allow the Malawians equalise in added time.

“The equaliser was a shame. I thought we had the three points, but a lack of concentration gave them away,” Keshi said.

He said that the players had done a fantastic job against the hosts before the equaliser came in injury time.

“The kids have fought very hard but that’s football.” Keshi said that his vision to build a very strong team was on course.

“I am very happy because the boys are developing, they are progressing, but it is going to take a while”, said Keshi, who plans to give other players an opportunity to prove themselves in subsequent matches.

“I still have some other players who are not here that I’m going to give an opportunity for them to come in and play – and try to build a very strong team for Nigeria.”

So far it’s obvious that the coach is bent on transforming the Eagles despite few losses and wins. The team won a match and they put up a spirited second half performance to defeat Nationwide Division 2 side Mountain of Fire And Miracles, MFM, Abuja 2-0.

A total of 23 players both home and abroad have been invited by Keshi to prosecute some of the matches of the team, going into this weekend’s Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda scheduled for Calabar, people are watching how the team will fair playing at home. will Keshi be axed by the board of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF if he fails to qualify Nigeria for the 2013 Nations Cup, only time will tell?.

 —Jordan Olanipekun