Keshi’s Aide Reveals Contract has not been Renewed by NFF despite Rumours
Stephen Keshi’s aide, Emmanuel Ado, has revealed that no contract agreement has been reached yet between the Super Eagles’ Head Coach and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
Ado made this known in a statement on Wednesday, stating that since Keshi’s two-and-a-half-year contract expired after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, there has only been a draft contract from the NFF and that both parties were to start negotiations on the same day.
According to reports, the NFF board had on Tuesday said it had finalised plans on a new contract with Keshi that sees him continue as Eagles’ Head Coach and had forwarded it to the coach, while expecting signatures by the NFF and Keshi on the new contract in a few days.
Ado said: “On behalf of Keshi, I want to categorically state that no agreement has been reached between my client and the NFF. Nothing has been agreed. Statements credited to Inyama that arrangements have been finalised for him to sign a new contract are misleading.
“We have the draft contract from the federation and we expect to enter into negotiations today August 13. I want to state that contracts are not a “take it or leave it” thing. It is not a master-servant relationship.”
He continued:”While Keshi appreciates the confidence reposed in him by the NFF to continue as Super Eagles’ coach, he will not be intimidated or blackmailed into accepting the contract as proposed by the federartion.”
Ado also said the NFF is trying to rush Keshi into an agrrement ahead of the September 6 qualifying match between Nigeria and Rwanda, as the Super Eagles presently have no handler in charge of the team.
Ado said, “This is no excuse to rush our client into signing a contract which he has objections to about certain parts. Statements portraying or capable of portraying our client as unreasonable must be avoided.
“We hope that both sides will be able to reach common grounds on the issues which Keshi has reservations about.”
