Keshi’s performance should determine contract renewal – Former Coach Chukwu

A former Head Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Christian Chukwu, has said that Stephen Keshi should be judged by the outcome of his last outing before his contract as coach of the Super Eagles is renewed.
 
In a Chat with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, Mr. Chukwu said Keshi, who is yet to sign another contract with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, after his previous contract expired at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, should only be hired if he proved himself capable of delivering result.

“Well I can’t decide if Keshi’s contract should be renewed or not, my own stake is that after the General Elections, the NFF will meet to make a decision,” Mr. Chukwu said.

“But in my own opinion, I can only say that a coach can be judged by his last two results that’s my own opinion. And you can see for yourself, if a coach is doing well, everyone will definitely want him to continue,” the former Super Eagles Captain said.

Chukwu also said Keshi should have stuck to his original team rather than introduce new players to play Sudan in the qualifiers for the ongoing 2015 Cup of Nations Qualifiers.

“He has released the names and there is nothing we can do about it, no one can change that but I just feel we have a winning squad and the Coach ought to have stuck to that.

“If the new faces perform well and beat Sudan 7-0 it is all good, people will also praise him, it is football and I want to believe the Coach knows what he is doing, he is in charge and of course would want the best.”

Speaking about the ongoing crisis at the NFF, the 53-year old ex-footballer urged the Nigerian government to stop funding football to avoid problems each time they are asked to give account of monies.

“Thank God the election is around the corner and I hope it puts an end to the whole crisis. I just want the government to stop funding football, because each time they asked them to give accounts of the money allocated to them they will start running to FIFA for help. Let football run independently away from government. That is my stand,” he said.

Christian Chukwu was the first Nigerian Captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy after a resounding 3-0 victory over Algeria in 1980.