I never re-applied for Eagles job —Keshi

[FlyJ]

 

Out-of-contract Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has claimed he never re-applied to manage the team despite claims by the Nigeria Football Federation that the former Nigeria captain is the only applicant for the national team job.

 

The NFF said earlier this month that Keshi would be given the job as he was the only one that applied after the position was advertised as vacant last year.

 

But Keshi told The PUNCH on Wednesday that the NFF was lying to Nigerians with that declaration in a bid to make him look bad before football followers. He said he told NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, and a board member of the NFF, Felix Anyasi, that he was no longer interested in coaching the Super Eagles.

 

“Nigerians have been deceived; I never applied for the Super Eagles coaching job as the NFF have lied to Nigerians,” Keshi said on the telephone.

 

“I didn’t receive any contract terms, nor did my agent. I only see all these things on the pages of newspapers, but I decided to keep quiet. The NFF has succeeded in deceiving journalists in Nigeria.

 

“In one of the early interviews Pinnick had after he became NFF president, he made it clear that Keshi would not be coaching the team, so how come he is turning around to say he is offering me a new contract, and that I’m the one stalling. I’ve told them I don’t want the job. I’m tired of coaching and being surrounded by people who don’t want me in the job.

 

“Pinnick told everyone that the NFF had paid us (the coaches) our entitlements, but he was lying. They still owe us two months salaries and the winning bonus from the last Sudan game which we won.

 

“They’re saying these things because they want Nigerians to see me as a bad person. I’ve been very patient and quiet but they kept lying about a contract.”

 

Keshi was one of three coaches shortlisted for the vacant Burkina Faso job after Paul Put was fired for failing with the Stallions at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. He, however, lost out in the race following the appointment of German Gernot Rohr by the Burkina Faso Football Federation on Wednesday.

 

He had yet to learn of the BFF decision when he spoke with The PUNCH, but when he was told, he said he was not upset by missing out on the job.

 

“It was a privilege to be considered in the first place. Someone has to get the job and they can’t appoint everyone that applied,” he said.

 

“I’m not really bothered, such things happen. I’m going to consider other options I have and move on.”

 

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