Nigeria Vs Malawi: Nigerians Speak On Keshi, Saintfiet’s Feud

Barely eight days to the crucial 2014 World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Malawi, football loving Nigerians in Lagos speak with Bamidele Olowosagba on the lingering war of words between Super Eagles’ coach Stephen Keshi and the Flames of Malawi’s handler, Tom Saintfiet.

Personally I think the comment from Keshi calling the Malawian coach a ‘white dude’ is not proper especially coming from a coach in the calibre of Stephen Keshi. And professionally, it belittle his status as the head coach of Nigeria’s national football team.

Though I don’t see the feud affecting Nigeria going and get the three points at stake when we play Malawi at home next week but I still feel Keshi needs to apologise to Saintfiet and let’s move on.

Ehi Ujiagbe, Banker: I am really disappointed in the Malawian coach for accusing coach Keshi of making a racist comment knowing fully well that for several years which Keshi played professional football in Belgium he was not accused of racism. I want to believe the allegation by Saintfiet is an attempt to blackmail Keshi as the cruncial 2014 World Cup qualifier draws closer.

My advice to Keshi and the NFF is for them to concentrate on the match at hand and ignore the cheap blackmail of the Malawian coach. Malawi are not a threat to us and we are going to soar over come 7 September in Calabar.

Fred Aghedo, Security Personnel: I am really worried for the comment made by Keshi because I don’t support the idea of talking against his fellow coach. Calling the Malawian coach a ‘white dude’ might not seem as a racist comment to us as Africans but to the Belgian it might be derogatory. I just hope the comment would not attract Keshi being suspended by FIFA. As regards if it will affect our preparation for the match next week, I don’t think so because we have a matured team that can do without the mind games between the two coaches.

Kentoa Sunday, Football Enthusiast: I would want Keshi to forget about what the Malawian coach is saying and concentrate on the all important match. Calling a fellow coach a white dude, to me, is not a racist comment. What the Malawians are doing is just to create a distraction for the Super Eagles and their handlers. We are not going to fall for that.

Ayodeji Aluko, Marketing Executive: As an international figure I don’t think Keshi has the right to make such comment against his fellow coaching colleague. I think Keshi should know better that when one gets to a certain stage one should be carefully on things to utter to the public. We’ve placed Keshi so high that we don’t expect him to makesuch statement. Though it has happened we just have to wait for FIFA’s verdict because I learnt the Malawian FA have already reported the case to FIFA.

I think Malawi shouldn’t be a problem to us on the field of play come 7 September in Calabar.

Oluwatosin Adewusi, Honeywell Staff: I was shocked when I saw it on the pages of newspaper but I don’t expect the Malawian coach to take the matter to FIFA. I expect coach Keshi to be pardoned by FIFA because the comment it was reported he made, as far as I am concern, was not in anyway racist in nature.

We shouldn’t lose sleep over the matter but we should rather focus on how we would beat the Flames of Malawi when they come here on Saturday.

Temitope Bishop, Student: Malawi are no threat to us what they are trying to do is just to create confusion ahead of the match.For coach Keshi calling him a white dude does not warrant all the threat that they would take us to FIFA. I believe both coaches are just playing mind games ahead of the match. For me, I expect our boys to beat the Malawi irrespective of what of the two coaches are talking about.