The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday unveiled Coach Stephen Keshi as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles for the next two years, ending weeks of speculations and stalled contract negotiations.
Keshi signed a two-year contract on Tuesday and was unveiled at a ceremony at the National Stadium in Abuja. The 53-year-old’s previous contract ran out after the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup, where Nigeria crashed to a 2-0 loss to France in the round-of-16.
Keshi, fondly called the Big Boss handled the team on a game-by-game basis while contract talks stalled, and was then sacked when it became clear that the Eagles were destined to fail in the quest to qualify for the 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The sack was subsequently reversed due to pressure from government quarters, while the failure of the team to qualify for the tournament after two more matches further worsened his chances of landing the job.
His new contract lasts till 2017 and would be reviewed after the 2015 AFCON, whose qualifiers begin very soon.
While Keshi retained his job as chief coach, his assistant, Daniel ‘the bull’ Amokachi, lost his place as assistant to the former coach of Kano Pillars, Salisu Yusuf.
Keshi won the AFCON title with the Eagles in 2013, 19 years after he captained the team to achieve the feat.
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