NFF to sack Keshi if probe shows he applied for job as Ivory Coast's head coach

NIGERIAN Football Federation (NFF) officials have revealed that head coach Stephen Keshi will be sacked if indeed he is found to have applied for the job to manage Ivory Coast's national team the Elephants.

 

Over the last week, Keshi and the NFF have been involved in a rancorous dispute after it was rumoured that the coach had applied for the Ivorian job. Ivory Coast is currently looking for a manager to handle their national team and it is believed that Keshi's agent submitted an application on his behalf.

 

Earlier this week, Keshi had been summoned before the NFF's Organising and Disciplinary Committee, where he denied having anything to do with the Ivorian job. According to Keshi, he cannot help it if he is linked with every job going as he cannot control the rumour mill and speculation.

 

However, NFF disciplinary committee vice-president Iyke Igbokwe, said that the disciplinary committee will recommend for the dismissal of coach Keshi if it were proven he applied to manage African champions Ivory Coast. NFF president Amaju Pinnick had already said it would be suicidal for Keshi to apply for another post when the NFF is up to date with the payment of his salaries.

 

Mr Igbokwe added: “If it were proven that he indeed applied to coach Cote d’Ivoire when he is still coaching the Super Eagles, then that is a breach of trust. We will then recommend to the executive committee that he be relieved of his job so that he could go and coach Cote d’Ivoire.”

 

Keshi has a two-year contract after his first three-year stint in charge of the Super Eagles during which time he guided the team to the knock-out rounds of the 2014 World Cup in Btazil and winning a third Africa Cup of Nations the previous year. His current contract will take him up to the end of the 2017 African Cup of Nations.