Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has admitted that his team’s performance at the World Cup in Brazil in June will ultimately determine whether he is going to continue as Nigeria’s gaffer.
Speaking at the 5th TomTom Editors’ Roundtable in Lagos on Tuesday, the former Togo and Mali coach also admitted that he has options wide open for him should he decide not to renew his Eagles’ contract that will lapse with the World Cup.
THISDAY had reported earlier that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was undecided on Keshi’s contract renewal despite speculations that South Africa was after the signature of the coach who ended Nigeria’s 19 years wait for another Africa Cup of Nations trophy last year February.
“I’ve plan A as well as plan B. Both plans are well spelt out in my mind and after the World Cup if the condition on ground is conducive and favourable, l’ll stay and if it’s not comfortable I’ll behave naturally as a core professional,” observed the former Eagles captain while fielding questions at the event.
Keshi who was unequivocal on the interest from South Africa said that money has no role to play in his choice of country to handle as national coach otherwise he would have accepted the offer he got from Equatorial Guinea.
“If I was after money, I would have gone to Equatorial Guinea to earn four times what I am getting as Super Eagles head coach,” observed Keshi.
He however revealed that former Nigerian Technical Adviser, Clemens Westerhof, played a great influence in his becoming a successful coach today.
“Westerhof is a mentor to me. After the USA ’94 World Cup, he told me I’ll become a coach,” Keshi revealed.
He also revealed that Westerhof had a unique style of motivating players during matches.
“Westerhof can talk you to play like Pele with positive words and he’s a disciplinarian. Without discipline, you can't fit into a team,” Keshi recalled.
Since his appointment after Eagles failed to qualify for the 2012 Gabon/Equatorial Guinea AFCON, Keshi has deployed similar strategies adopted by Westerhof in managing the national team.
He also added that he learnt from his previous coaches at Anderlecht in Belgium as well as Strasbourg in France.
“Those days, I take note of what my coaches say and do. I still have those notes and they are very useful to me today,” stressed Keshi.
To avoid the type of ugly incidence of scandal that rocked the team’s campaign at the AFCON in Tunisia, Keshi, said he was comfortable with players coming to the Mundial with their respective spouses.
“I won’t frown at players coming to the World Cup with their legitimate wives but I can’t give the same commitment to girlfriends,” concludes Keshi
The 2013 AFCON champions will campaign in Group F at the World Cup in Brazil with Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina.
Source : thisdaylive.com
Tags: Nigeria, Featured, Sports, Stephen Keshi
