I advised Keshi to quit @NgSuperEagles, but he didn’t listen – Onigbinde

by Mark Bassey

Recently, several former coaches of the Super Eagles have urged Stephen Keshi to quit as gaffer of the national team.

Now adding his name to the list is former coach of Nigeria, Adegboye Onigbinde, who revealed that he has personally written to Keshi, who is out of contract, to look for employment elsewhere.

While speaking with SuperSport.com, Onigbinde stated that despite his counsel, Keshi chose to go ahead and continue in his role as coach of the senior national football team.

Onigbinde said: “On the very day the Presidency asked him to return to his job I personally sent him a text message to politely thank Mr President for the offer and bow out honourably and quietly, too.”

“Keshi respectfully replied the text message thanking me and that was it as he went ahead with the two remaining 2015 AFCON qualifying matches against Congo and South Africa, I’m sure the rest is history.”

“I volunteered the advice to Keshi because I understand that he won’t work with the Presidency but a different set of people as well as an entirely different environment.”

“Now that others have picked up the calls I have the privilege to have said over two months ago I won’t like to engage in an exercise that will appear repetitious so that I won’t be accused of having interest in the whole matter. I’m not used to pressurising people to act in certain way, I’ve passed my view directly to him, I don’t need to pressurise him further on same thing.”

Speaking further, Onigbinde also bemoaned the apparent refusal of the Nigeria Football Federation to put in a place a technical department.

He said: “The major problem of football in the land is administration, I’ve written several papers on the need for a virile technical department which is key to football development.”

“In other lands it’s called technical and development department because without development then everybody could as well go to sleep. I suggested that some people be trained as match analysts but the persons I saw on the list the NFF wants to train made me to laugh.”

“The major mistakes we keep repeating are to assume that ex-footballers are automatic administrators, it’s quite wrong. Jose Mourinho and Arrigo Sacchi weren’t star players but you can’t rival their administrative and technical finesse. Being a star player doesn’t make you sound administrator or technical expert, it’s clearly a special calling.”

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