By Osi Okponobi As things have turned out, I am probably the only person that was unimpressed with the outcome of the Farrouk Lawan led Fuel-subsidy probe panel that conducted an enquiry into the activities of the fuel marketeers or cabal.From my experience of sitting on panels, I was unimpressed that a panel would reverse itself or include 'innocent' persons, in the first place, and later announce that those names be expunged from the list of those found wanting.That is not done. Not many people asked why or how the names got there in the first place. Was it a typo error' I immediately suspected something fishy or dubious had taken place. You do not mistakenly include a name on a list or include names in error. The decision, whether they are culpable or not is taken at the deliberation stage and not after the report has been written (or typed up) and submitted to the House.I have set the above background to explain how my mind works and how I am not always impressed when the country makes bad decisions. Bringing it home to the Super Eagles, I am probably also the only Nigerian that was unimpressed with the decision to appoint Stephen Keshi as the Super Eagles coach. This is not because I do not like his person (I don't even know him) but my objection stems from the method of his appointment and his qualifications for the job.In one of my articles, I questioned Nigeria's appointment system and blamed this as one of the bane of our underdevelopment. Others include 'zoning', quota system, Federal Character, ethnicity, nepotism or 'man know man'. The worst of them is appointment based on no-qualifications and lack of experience or inexperience. For I can excuse appointments based on nepotism or Federal Character, if these throw up experienced and competent persons. Reviewing Mr Stephen Keshi's appointment, he was second rate. Second rate and second best behind Samson Siasia, who himself was not a success. However, he got the job ahead of Stephen Keshi.Samson Siasia boasts of better qualifications and record of achievements, as a coach, compared to Stephen Keshi. Samson Siasia was preferred to Stephen Keshi, and was thus appointed by the NFF as coach of the Super Eagles after the exit of Lars Lagerback, following the not too bad performance of the Super Eagles, who took bronze at the last Nations Cup finals. Mr Lagerback had only been with the Super Eagles for ONLY 3 months, and yet he achieved such feat. That could have been a good foundation to build on. But Nigerians condemned this feat because it fell short of the UNREALISTIC expectation and target given to him to win the competition. That is the Nigerian way! After only 3 months we expect to start running, when we have not even started sitting or walking.Samson Siasia, who the mantle fell on, given the clamour for a Local coach, performed below par on the big stage. A big lesson for him was that the big stage (the big boys) is different from the heroics at the junior levels. Most serious footballing nations do not take those junior level competitions seriously. Those competitions are second rate and are not usually aired or shown on mainstream British televisions, for instance. The competitions are feeder to the senior teams or the big league.That, unfortunately, was the only pedigree and exploits that Samson Siasia boasted. His stint at Heartland F.C was lacklustre. Even with such dismal 'record' or pedigree, he still edged and was preferred over Stephen Keshi. Siasia performed woefully and failed to qualify Nigeria for the 2012 African Nations Cup finals, after having already failed to qualify for the 2011 World cup finals in South Africa. This was, perhaps, the first in history of Nigeria, at least, for a long time.Stephen Keshi, on the other hand, could only boast of coaching a second rate (or even third rate) Togolese National team, as his biggest achievement. And even then, a small country, both in terms of size and footballing history, still rejected him and did not have confidence in his ability to lead Togo to the world stage, to compete against the likes of Italy, Germany, Spain, Brazil and Argentina, after performing dismally at the African Nations Cup. In other words, he became a reject and was second rate to a little known coach, who was appointed in his place, to superintend the second rate Togolese national team to the world cup finals.Keshi was also sacked by the Mali National team because of poor performance.That Stephen Keshi was rejected by a small football country like Togo, and sacked by Mali, should have given Nigeria cause for concern about appointing such a person. If tiny Togo could not trust Stephen Keshi's ability to steer their country's football team at the world stage, what is Nigeria doing with him' Why also has Nigeria appointed Mali's reject' In other words, why did Nigeria go for this second rate coach, calling a spade a spade. His records speak volumes that he was second rate, and second best even to coach Samson Siasia, who was appointed ahead of him, but performed disappointingly.During staff recruitment or selection process, the only time the second best is usually considered and offered a job is when the first candidate refuses the job, and the second best is appointable. Was Stephen Keshi appointable' What was/were his record(s) that made him appointable' What was his pedigree' Besides Togo (which is not even a footballing nation to reckon with) what other record of achievement does he possess, that qualified him to coach a one-time 9th FIFA ranked footballing nation, like Nigeria' If he was good, why did Mali sack him based on poor performance'Let us do the sums, for a minute, and see how they stack. Stephen Keshi, in a million years, can never coach a League 4 team in the UK, talk less of Premiership teams, like Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Untd or Man City. Yet, not many of the Premiership teams coaches are good enough for the England team, not to talk of the Championship league teams (Second division). If Stephen Keshi is not good enough for a Second division team (for the sake of upgrading him) in England, how then can the Super Eagles compete on the same level playing field as teams like England, Spain, Germany and Brazil who engage the best of the best to manage their national teams'Mr Stephen Keshi, by default, is the coach of the Super Eagles, rightly or wrongly. The country can only get behind him and wish him all the best. However, if he underachieves, I won't be disappointed. He is already showing himself up by the lacklustre performance put up by the Super Eagles so far. Like the Farrouk Lawan saga, I won't be disappointed, but would simply say, I warned you, if he fails or underachieves. If he performs well, which I doubt very much, I will be pleasantly surprised. I desire that he performs well, for his own sake, the sake of our Local coaches and the sake of Nigerians. But I can't see how! I can't see that he has what it takes and has the experience it takes. I hope I eat my words.Osi OkponobiA.R.MJasol2kone@yahoo.co.ukread more
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