A word for Keshi
Keshi is now the villain. How short indeed is our collective memory of success! When he won the 2013 AFCON his players carried him shoulder high. Nigerians celebrated him. Africa celebrated him. CAF named him the Coach of the Year. Mahmoud El-Gohary of Egypt and Nigeria’s Steven Keshi are the only people that have won […]
Keshi is now the villain. How short indeed is our collective memory of success! When he won the 2013 AFCON his players carried him shoulder high. Nigerians celebrated him. Africa celebrated him. CAF named him the Coach of the Year. Mahmoud El-Gohary of Egypt and Nigeria’s Steven Keshi are the only people that have won the Nations Cup as a player and as a coach. Nigerians were proud to be associated with Keshi. All that is now forgotten!
In case some of us have also forgotten, or have chosen to forget, Keshi is the longest serving Super Eagles captain. He is the best coach Nigeria has produced, and one of the best coaches in Africa. The Malians know this; so do the Togolese. Other African countries know it. But Nigerians don’t know it!
Before Nigerian footballers “opened eye” Keshi had gone to Europe to establish himself, and helped many Nigerian players to move to Europe. Perhaps if not for Keshi our footballers would not have moved to the bests leagues in the world then, and become internationally known. They have even said Keshi’s AFCON success was by “luck”. Well, luck follows great coaches. After we could not qualify for the AFCON 2012 the NFF or whatever they call themselves now had their tail between their legs.
They told themselves the truth. They decided to go for Steven Keshi. He was to build a new team. Keshi was given a contract in black and white, not a verbal contract. Keshi went for youth, people who were not known because he understands the psyche of the Nigerian, nay African player. He understands they cannot handle fame. Nigerian players when they are in the youth stage they know their lives depend on doing well in tournaments, especially World Cup or they risk poverty for life. That is why any chance they have to showcase themselves they give it their all.
Even their parents do everything to encourage them. They are ready to listen to, and ready to obey their coach. But their white counterparts who know their future is assured by their governments only go through those competitions as not a “do or die” thing but a game that builds them up. When they now go professional they give it their all. While Nigerian foreign based players are obsessed about their pounds and dollars in naira their white counterparts are obsessed about breaking new records. So he is busy developing himself. Keshi knows this. That was why he went for those who will play for him, as he likes to put it, “those who will work for the team.” People keep saying Keshi keeps experimenting; that “new” players will not allow for “stability” or “blending.” Again, Nigerian players are not primed to “play for long”, at least not yet. Nigerian players give their country the best of themselves for a period they seek recognition, after that the “been there, seen it, done it” mentality takes over. Use them while they can last. Remember they lie about their ages. Not everyone is an Okocha or a Kanu.
Cosmas Odoemena, Lagos <[email protected]>;