Keshi’s sacking baffles Douglas

Stephen Keshi

Former international Bolaji Douglas says he is baffled by the sacking of Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, by the Nigeria Football Federation.

The former Nigeria captain, who led the Eagles to a third Africa Cup of Nations title two years ago, was dismissed as coach of the national team on saturday.

The relationship between Keshi and his employers have been anything but rosy since the coach came on board in 2011, leading him to resign after the 2013 AFCON triumph, before he was sacked by the federation after the Eagles’ lackluster performances in the 2015 AFCON qualifiers.

But Keshi was reinstated on both occasions by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I have mixed feelings about this. If he (Keshi) had been sacked immediately after the failure of the Eagles to secure a ticket for the 2015 AFCON, it would have made a lot of sense. If he had been sacked even when the team was struggling to qualify as part of the measures to salvage our qualifiers, it would have also made a lot of sense,” Douglas said.

“They sacked him at a time but for whatever reasons, he was reinstated in a manner which suggests he was imposed on them. From then, we created an environment that was never conducive for our football. If they made up their minds that they were going to take him back, then it leaves me wondering why he is being sacked now. They should spare us the stories that it had to do with the Ivory Coast job. At best, it is akin to looking for any excuse to skin the cat and hang it.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The former BCC Lions of Gboko captain, who now resides in Ireland, said Keshi and the NFF never had a cordial relationship during the coach’s tenure as head coach of the national team.

Douglas added, “The message behind this sack is simple: his employers don’t want him. It appears they have a path and a direction they want to follow and that path does not lead to Keshi. If they don’t want him, then a decision has to be made, which they have done.

“One can only hope they know what they are doing and would hold themselves responsible if things don’t work out well. They don’t believe in Keshi and there does not appear to be a good relationship between the two parties. Someone had to go and I guess that person is Keshi.”