OPINION: Why should NFF not retain Stephen Keshi as Coach of the Nigeria National Team

Nigerians home and abroad await the appointment of a new coach for the senior national team, the Super Eagles.

Recent reports have it that the NFF technial committee members are currently deliberating on filling the vacant position. chairman of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chief Anynsi Agwu says his committee had passed its recommendations on the reappointment of Stephen Keshi to the executive committee of the federation.

''We deliberated on Keshi’s contract renewal and have made our recommendations to the NFF board,'' Felix Anyasi-Agwu, chairman of the NFF technical committee, said after their meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

Did you just say Keshi again! Yes Stephen Okechukwu Keshi. Soon and very soon this announcement will be made and Nigerians will know who will take the Eagles to the next level.

Although we also hear that his the new deal will contain clauses that will be make him answerable to the technical committee. Also, the former Mali and Togo boss will work with a backroom staff picked by the NFF.

Coach Keshi's contract lapsed after the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup and was asked to return to lead the team to the recently concluded African Cup of Nations won by Cote d'voire in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. You know the rest. We simply did not qualify to play in that tournament and the 'ifs' began to fill the papers. If only Nigeria had qualified, If only, if only.

From his football playing days to his present status as a coach, ''the big boss'' as coach keshi is fondly called, has experienced all the ironies of the round leather game applauds, adoration, successes, controversies and lately failure. 

Many are quick to accuse him of being money conscious, power drunk, arrogant, tactically incompetent and placing mediocrity over merits.

Here's the thing. What exactly is Keshi not getting right aside the fact that he failed to lead the team to Malabo? Or could it be said that Nigerians just want him out going by the usual hiring and firing? This same Coach won the nations cup in 2013, led the team to Confederation Cup in Brazil, qualified Nigeria to play in the world cup where he made the knock-out stages.

Let's just say the name Stephen Keshi means different things to different people in this football loving nation called Nigeria. What then do you think about his reported return?