NFF tackles Keshi over Nations Cup holiday

Nigeria Football Federation has questioned the move by the Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi to be in South Africa during the African Nations Cup competition starting in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea by January rather than be in Nigeria working out programmes for his team.Keshi has taken a contract to work as an analyst with SuperSport in South Africa while the African Nations Cup is taking place. But the members of the NFF Technical Committee who have frowned at the arrangement are meeting with him today over the issue.The spokesperson for the committee Mr. Paul Bassey told our correspondent that members were not comfortable with the idea of studio work for the national coach.He said, The match against Rwanda in Abuja on February 29 is like the beginning of the Keshi years, so before then he should be able to put his structures in place. It is for that reason today (Friday) in Lagos he will be expected to convince the Technical Committee on how the SuperSport function will not affect his Nations Cup preparations.Keshi has reportedly told the members unofficially that he has time on his hands which will enable him to stay away and return to begin preparation for his first competitive match.A member of the committee said, He will meet stiff opposition from members who believe that since there is no credible team on ground, he should use the whole of January and February to try and perfect his team instead of going on holiday in South Africa.The Eagles who got a bye for the preliminary round for the 2013 Nations Cup will take on Rwanda on February 29. Initially CAF had decreed that countries that did not qualify for the 2012 edition will be required to kick start preliminaries in January.
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