Why Keshi can’t pick assistants

Returnee Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi does not have the power to select or appoint his own assistants, his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation have clarified. In a chat with Sports Vanguard in his office at Onikan Stadium, NFF first Vice President and chairman of the Lagos State FA, Barrister Seyi Akinwumi said Keshi lacked that prerogative. Head coach Stephen Keshi of Nigeria gestures during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group F match between Nigeria and  FIFA/FIFA Asked why the coach was not allowed to pick his assistants, Akinwumi quipped, “will he pay them from his pocket?” He said the federation was not excluding Keshi from the process of getting his assistants. “The most he can do is to recommend who he would like to work with. Based on his recommendation the technical committee would then sit and consider the candidates.” He however, made it clear that the committee was not bound to take his recommendations hook, line and sinker. “It depends on the kind of persons he recommends. That is why we have the technical committee. You don’t expect them to accept just anybody the head coach recommends.” The federation boss said they were aware of the looming 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the board would do everything possible to ensure Keshi’s assistants were named soon. “We know they should get started as the qualifiers are near. Keshi and the technical committee have been talking on the issue of his assistants and I am sure they will come up with something for the board to consider in no distant time,” he said. He said the newly signed Nike deal would enhance the profile of Nigerian football and add a lot of value to the national team. “What we have just done is raising our profile. It will go a long way, in terms of benefits. We now have a partner who is a global player in the game; with their technical inputs, we stand to gain in our youth development efforts, negotiating discounts for camping sites and so on. There is much more than the kits that we stand to gain,” Akinwumi reiterated. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/why-keshi-cant-pick-assistants/#sthash.Wlu8cyxT.dpuf