Avoid embarrassment, Mabo tells Keshi DECEMBER 31, 2014 BY IDRIS ADESINA
A former coach of the Super Falcons, Ismaila Mabo,
has asked out-of-contract Nigeria coach Stephen
Keshi to protect his integrity and achievements and
resign as the coach of the Super Eagles.
Keshi has come under heavy fire since the Eagles
failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations
holding in Equatorial Guinea. The former Togo coach
was relieved of his position by the Nigeria Football
Federation as the struggled for the competition ticket
but was forced back on the federation and the team
by President Goodluck Jonathan. Since then there has
been continuous call for the embattled coach to go by
the popular demand of Nigerians and quit the team.
Mabo who spoke with our correspondent on Tuesday,
advised Keshi not to lose his integrity by clinging
desperately to the Eagles' job.
He said, "I have been an advocate of indigenous
coaches for our national teams, and so when Keshi
was appointed as the Eagles coach, I was fully in
support of him. All Nigerians know that Keshi
achieved a lot with the team in a very short time. He
did much for the country in a period of time that
people never thought it was possible. Nigerians will
never forget him for that.
"But now, everybody sees that things have turned
against him, so I will advise him to leave the team at
this time when it is still honourable for him to do so.
Even if he has the backing of the country's president,
my candid advice to him is to protect his name,
achievements and legacy with the Eagles.
"Nobody can rubbish his achievements but the longer
he stays there, the more he loses people's respect. If
the majority of people do not want him, he should
resign.
"Let him leave honourably and another indigenous
coach should take over the team to start a process of
rebuilding the team. Leaving now will save his neck
and also save him from too much embarrassment."
Technical Director of the NFF, Shaibu Amodu, a
former staunch supporter of Keshi was one of the
first to lead the call for Keshi to quit. Also, former
Eagles internationals such as Joe Erico, and former
Eagles coaches, Christian Chukwu, and Adegboye
Onigbinde and the Director of Pepsi Football
Academy, Kashimawo Laloko, had also asked him to
move on.
Mabo, who is the first coach to lead the Falcons to a
FIFA World Cup quarter-final added that the NFF now
needs to focus on building a team for the future
Eagles from the scratch 2015.
"The NFF should deal with this coaching issue as soon
as possible and build a team that can withstand
competition and the test of time in the new year," he
said.
"Nigerians love football and will like to see their
teams do well in competitions they attend."
--
*newday <http://naijahut.tk>*
has asked out-of-contract Nigeria coach Stephen
Keshi to protect his integrity and achievements and
resign as the coach of the Super Eagles.
Keshi has come under heavy fire since the Eagles
failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations
holding in Equatorial Guinea. The former Togo coach
was relieved of his position by the Nigeria Football
Federation as the struggled for the competition ticket
but was forced back on the federation and the team
by President Goodluck Jonathan. Since then there has
been continuous call for the embattled coach to go by
the popular demand of Nigerians and quit the team.
Mabo who spoke with our correspondent on Tuesday,
advised Keshi not to lose his integrity by clinging
desperately to the Eagles' job.
He said, "I have been an advocate of indigenous
coaches for our national teams, and so when Keshi
was appointed as the Eagles coach, I was fully in
support of him. All Nigerians know that Keshi
achieved a lot with the team in a very short time. He
did much for the country in a period of time that
people never thought it was possible. Nigerians will
never forget him for that.
"But now, everybody sees that things have turned
against him, so I will advise him to leave the team at
this time when it is still honourable for him to do so.
Even if he has the backing of the country's president,
my candid advice to him is to protect his name,
achievements and legacy with the Eagles.
"Nobody can rubbish his achievements but the longer
he stays there, the more he loses people's respect. If
the majority of people do not want him, he should
resign.
"Let him leave honourably and another indigenous
coach should take over the team to start a process of
rebuilding the team. Leaving now will save his neck
and also save him from too much embarrassment."
Technical Director of the NFF, Shaibu Amodu, a
former staunch supporter of Keshi was one of the
first to lead the call for Keshi to quit. Also, former
Eagles internationals such as Joe Erico, and former
Eagles coaches, Christian Chukwu, and Adegboye
Onigbinde and the Director of Pepsi Football
Academy, Kashimawo Laloko, had also asked him to
move on.
Mabo, who is the first coach to lead the Falcons to a
FIFA World Cup quarter-final added that the NFF now
needs to focus on building a team for the future
Eagles from the scratch 2015.
"The NFF should deal with this coaching issue as soon
as possible and build a team that can withstand
competition and the test of time in the new year," he
said.
"Nigerians love football and will like to see their
teams do well in competitions they attend."
--
*newday <http://naijahut.tk>*
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