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Don't crucify Keshi if Eagles fail against Congo -Taribo

By punch
Sports News Don't crucify Keshi if Eagles fail against Congo -Taribo
SEP 3, 2014 LISTEN

Former Nigeria defender, Taribo West, says Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, should not be crucified if the national team put up a poor performance against Congo in their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo on Saturday in Calabar.

Keshi's contract has not been renewed by the Nigeria Football Federation, after it expired during the 2014 World Cup. But the coach will be in charge of the African champions against Congo and the next game against South Africa's Bafana, four days later, on interim basis.

Taribo said poor administration has been the bane of the game in Nigeria.

“I believe the Eagles will give their best but nobody should crucify Keshi if the team does not perform on Saturday. It's not about the match, it's about the structure of our football,” the former Inter Milan centre-back said.

“Do the football administrators know anything about football? In other parts of the world, football administration involves people who played the game. It's only in Africa that you have government officials in football administration and it cost Nigeria, Cameroon and even Ghana dearly at the World Cup.”

The Olympic gold medalist added that the manner in which the game is administered in Nigeria, has contributed partly to the poor form of the country's footballers based abroad.

The 1998 UEFA Cup winner added, “Because government is not doing what they should do, they have also contributed to the problem of Nigerian football. Football is on the decline and it's a shame that the Nigerian player who had the highest transfer fee (Brown Ideye) was not even at the World Cup. Where are the players who played in Brazil?

“If we look closely, the result of what we are getting is as a result of the structure at home. Charity they say begins at home but in Nigeria, the reverse is the case.

“They went to the last World Cup, made billions and put us to shame. (Aminu) Maigari should not be the sacrificial lamb; his predecessors did the same. But Maigari did relatively well, so why should he be crucified? Time has come when there should be a unifying force.”

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