Why Sacking Keshi for Oliseh was a BAD Move for Nigerian Football

How do you sack a manager in the middle of a qualification campaign, when the team is still on course to qualify?

Nigeria's situation isn't what Holland is going through which is just an all-time disaster piece. Keshi's team were not looking great or flowing well, but they were winning, and it was after a win that Keshi's contract was terminated and Oliseh, complete rookie, was brought into one of the toughest coaching jobs in Africa.


I am perhaps in the extreme minority of maybe one of those who liked Keshi. He wasn't perfect, he was stubborn he made some very bad calls with those who should be picked, but I liked his approach to the team and the football he was trying to make the Eagles play. After all, it was he who finally delivered the Nations Cup in great entertaining fashion after so many before had failed. The only critique I had of Keshi were the players he refused to call up to the team. That was it. But, the rule of football that ought to always be used is if you are winning, you can't be sacked. This is the winning business and you can't be punished if your team has walked off the pitch as victors.

There may be behind the scenes events that took place which lead to the NFA or NFF from terminating Keshi's contract. It is the worst kept secret that they hate each other, and the constant sack that kept hanging over Keshi's head was not healthy for the team's stability. Despite all of this. a federation has a DUTY and RESPONSIBILITY to have the national team's best interests at heart FIRST before anything else. Any kind of personal hatred or inner politics must be put aside, since it's all about the success of the country. I am not too sure the NFF read that part of the manifesto.









Oliseh is in a very difficult position. He's obviously been brought in to change the culture of Keshi and usher Nigeria into a whole new era. That is great, I am all for that. The thing though is that YOU DO NOT DO IT DURING A QUALIFICATION CAMPAIGN. I sincerely hope the NFF are reading this, and I used caps so that the important stuff can't get missed. It is highly irresponsible to replace a coach, who was still winning games, whilst a team is trying to qualify for a tournament. I just can't see much good come from this. I wish Oliseh well because he is part of the Golden Generation and I loved him as a player. But even when Keshi came in, he had experience with Togo. The Super Eagles are in need of mending, and the worst thing to do is bring in a completely unproven coach.


My one hope in this world is for one day, the Nigerian Football Federation can be populated by competent people who genuinely care about football in the country and don't just worry about their own selfish, personal needs.



HH