Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, spoke to ’TANA AIYEJINA on his experience at the recent CHAN in South Africa, World Cup preparations and his time as coach of Togo
How would you describe the performance of your team, winning the bronze medal at the just concluded African Nations Championship in South Africa?
It was a very good experience for me and I am happy with the performances of the boys. The competition gave the home-based players the opportunity to represent their country. Prior to this competition, it was very difficult for them to represent their country. It’s not only in Nigeria alone but most African countries. So, it was a great experience for me, the technical crew and everybody in the team.
The highlight of the entire competition was the home-based Eagles coming from 3-0 down to beat Morocco 4-3 in extra time in the quarter-final. How did you feel when your team was down by 3-0?
I didn’t feel anything. I just felt that if the Moroccans could score three goals in 10 minutes in the first half, then we had 45 minutes in the second half to score four goals and move ahead to the semi-final.
What did you tell your players in the dressing room during the break?
Just what I said earlier, “We have 45 minutes to score four goals and win the game.” And the boys gave their best and we won.
Nigerians were already expecting the team in the final of the competition but rivals 10-man Ghana defeated your team in the semi-finals…
I will say that is football. They came out kicking at us and using negative means to play us but I think football is not about fighting; we need to enjoy the game. You don’t have to kick your opponents just because you want to frustrate them. However, they won through penalties and it’s okay.
What is your reaction to Libya winning the third edition of the competition?
I tell people that it is not always the best teams that necessarily win tournaments. The Libyans were destined to emerge as champions of the competition and they did. I think it’s commendable if you take into perspective the crisis that has engulfed the country. I believe this big win will help foster unity in their country.
During the medal ceremony, FIFA president, Sepp Blatter held on to you and didn’t want to let you go. What did he tell you?
You want to know what Blatter told me? I don’t want to discuss that with anybody. What he said is for me and not for the media. So, I will keep it to myself.
Was he trying to inspire you to perform well at the 2014 World Cup?
Of course yes, what he said would inspire me but I am not revealing what he told me.
As the World Cup draws closer, what are your plans for Nigerian players with dual nationalities, who would want to play for the country in Brazil?
Any of them willing to play for Nigeria will be welcome. Like I have always said, we will extend invitation to any player who is doing well and wants to play for the country. I want people to help with information concerning such players. Do you have any?
There are so many Nigerian players in Europe with dual nationalities. A player like 21-year-old defender Kenny Otigba is doing very well at Dutch side Heerenven. He has played for Hungary, his mother’s country, at junior levels but still eligible to play for Nigeria at senior level…
Thank you for the information but since he has played for Hungary at junior levels, FIFA will have to clear him before he can play for Nigeria. But if he and others are willing to come to the team and fight for places, then the door is wide open for them to come and prove themselves. I want the very best for the World Cup.
What about the likes of Haruna Lukman, who is doing well at Dynamo Kiev and Victor Anichebe, just back from injury in England?
The Super Eagles is open to every Nigerian player but you have to prove that you are good to be in the team. If I could, I would want all the players in the team, but that is not possible. Everybody cannot be in the team. Even if I have to invite between 200 and 300 players to the team, all of them cannot go to the World Cup. So, we must understand that only a specified number of players can be on the flight to Brazil.
Some Nigerians feel that Ejike Uzoenyi, Man of The Championship in CHAN, has played his way into your World Cup team…
Well, that is their opinion but for me, nobody has a place yet. When you say such things about a player, it means he is doing well, which is good news for every coach. But the team is still wide open to anybody who is ready to prove himself. He (Ejike) had a great tournament in South Africa no doubt but nobody has secured any position yet.
What have been your challenging times?
There are lots of them. Right from training to match situations, there are always challenging times.
Can you share some of these challenges with Nigerians?
Coaching the home-based players is not an easy task; you just have to be patient while coaching them because that is how you can get the best results from them. Then some people feel coaching is about putting the ball on the pitch and getting 22 players to kick the ball around. It goes beyond that. But I try to cope in every situation I find myself.
Winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations will surely be your best moment so far as a coach…
Is it because I won the Nations Cup with Nigeria? I will tell you that my best time as a coach was with Togo. I qualified the team for the 2006 World Cup without a superstar. And we had in our group Senegal, who had played in the 2002 World Cup, defeated defending champions France and reached the quarter-finals. We also had Mali, Zambia, Liberia and Congo. My player, Emmanuel Adebayor, was the highest goal scorer in the African qualifiers for the World Cup with 11 goals. My team also scored the highest number of goals (20)in our group. In fact, we lost just one game out of 10 and we won seven, drew two. That performance was amazing and it was achieved with a bunch of virtually unknown players. I will always cherish that moment of my career.
You were Eagles captain under Dutchman Clemens Westerhof, regarded as Nigeria’s greatest coach. You have won virtually everything he won. Would you say you took after him?
Not really. I didn’t play under Westerhof alone. I played under coaches in Africa before I moved to Europe in the 1980s, where I also played under a lot of coaches. These coaches inspired me too. I learnt a lot from all of them, even though I actually didn’t want to become a coach. So it’s not only Westerhof I learnt from.
You just said you didn’t want to become a coach. At what time did you change your mind to become a coach?
Let’s leave that aside and concentrate on the Super Eagles and the World Cup. It’s personal to me.
When was your best time as the Super Eagles coach?
Anytime I come out with the team is always the best moment for me. I am happy to do what I am doing and it’s a great honour to coach my country’s team. So, anytime I am out with the players in Nigeria’s green and white colours, I am always fulfilled. It gives me joy to serve my nation.
The national team begins preparation for the 2014 World Cup with a friendly match against Mexico on March 5. Who are the new players you are hoping to call up to the team for the game?
You will see my list very soon. Any new player who is doing well at club level would be given a look-in. It applies to the old players too. If you are not doing well and you feel you have an automatic place in the squad, then you are making a mistake. Anybody called up should merit his place.
The 2014 World Cup would be the first time you would participate in the Mundial. How are you looking forward to your debut at the event?
It’s just like the next game. I work hard before any match and that is how we are going to prepare for the competition.
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