Nigerians React To Stephen Keshi Dismissal

8 years ago

Nigerians React To Stephen Keshi Dismissal

Nigerian fans across the world sat up, took notice and gave their two cents on the NFF’s decision to dismiss the Big Boss; here are the best of your comments:

Once again the Nigerian Football Federation have parted ways with Stephen Keshi.

The Big Boss’s successes—notably the Africa Cup of Nations victory in 2013—cannot be taken away from him, but over the subsequent year, the coach has lost his lustre.

Admittedly, the NFF have been guilty of mistreating the manager at times, but a combination of Keshi’s off-field disputes and the on-field decline hardly helped him ahead of this latest controversy.

There was an element of farce about his appearance on the shortlist for the available Cote d’Ivoire job…but sadly, it wasn’t surprising.
Keshi has struggled to shake the reputation of a man who puts his own success and his own prominence ahead of others, and even though he vehemently denied it, there will still be considerable portions of the Nigerian fanbase that can too easily believe that the coach saw an opportunity to move onto better things.

For the Glass House chiefs, it was one indiscretion and one misstep too many. He may have (eventually) been forgiven for missing out on the 2015 Afcon, and the victory against Chad may at least have given some hope for a return to past glories, but ultimately, the Ivorian scandal has cost Keshi to right the wrongs of 2014.

Naturally, his dismissal generated much discussion and comment on Twitter.

Here are the best of your opinions and insight over the days since the news broke.

The majority of people expressed cynicism about the Big Boss’s relationship with his former employers.

And so Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has been summarily SACKED by his employers, NFF It was a marriage of convenience from the start. *sigh*
— Mozez Praiz (@Mpraiz) July 4, 2015

Corruption and insincerity in out football did not start today. Westerhof faced the same and thrived. Keshi achieved a measure of success...
— Solace Chukwu (@deldorisma) July 6, 2015

Keshi had a game plan & he followed it to the letter. Interestingly, some high chiefs in the NFF could be partakers in this grand scheme.
— James Ezimoha (@jamesezimoha) July 6, 2015

I guess Mr Keshi wasn't the lapdog they hoped he would be...
— Patrick Obahiagbon (@PObahiagbon) July 5, 2015

The moment the former DG of the SSS was fired, Keshi was a goner.That's what happens when you keep a job through power brokers ¬ merit.
— Abiola Kazeem (@biolakazeem) July 5, 2015

Some commentators took a moment to mock the Big Boss's tumultuous career security over the last few years:
"Keshi" soap opera update: resigns, returns, resigns, returns, resigns, returns, now sacked. Stand-by for another exciting episode next week
— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) July 4, 2015

If the last 12 months are anything to go by Keshi will be back in the job next week... (although I think this time it really is the end).
— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) July 4, 2015

Finally, James Ezimoha wasn't so concerned about the decision to sack Keshi as the identity of his replacement.
I don't understand why every time there is a Super Eagles head coach vacancy Amodu Shuaibu's name must be in the mix.
— James Ezimoha (@jamesezimoha) July 4, 2015
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