FOR the Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Musa Ahmadu, there are 'many forces' working against the nation's football, particularly in the race to qualify for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.'They are everywhere pushing hard to make sure that Nigeria do not pick the ticket to South Africa 2013 Nations Cup,' Ahmadu told The Guardian on phone yesterday. 'And that is very unfortunate because a true Nigerian should be thinking of the progress of the nation and not the other way.'But I am sure they will be put to shame at the end because we are working very hard to see that the Eagles book a ticket to South Africa. We are very optimistic of getting there,' he added.Ahmadu was reacting to reports making the round that a foreign coach is being mooted to head the Super Eagles soon.He said: 'Not too long ago, the NFF came up with that idea of hiring a foreign technical adviser for the national team, but some people felt it was not necessary. So, why should such idea come up at this stage when everybody should be supporting Keshi to take us to the Nations Cup and the World Cup''What I am saying in effect is that the NFF has no plan whatsoever to hire a foreign coach to boss Keshi. We do not also have the intention to sack him. No, that is rubbish.'Since the Eagles squandered their 2-1 lead to settle for a 2-2 draw against Liberia in Monrovia, there have been insinuations that Keshi might be shown the exit door as soon as possible.The latest report was that 'some influential politicians' are working with some top officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC) on the possibility of hiring a foreign technical adviser to lead the Super Eagles' coaching crew.To the NFF scribe, anyone mooting such idea at this crucial stage of our qualification for the Nations Cup must be 'an agent of the devil.''The NFF is solidly behind Keshi and we are confident that he will qualify the team for the Nations Cup. I am assuring all football-loving Nigerians that we will get there. Those agents of the devil will fail.'According to latest report, some politicians, who have influence in the game, have expressed no confidence in Keshi's ability to handle the team and they are talking about a foreign technical adviser to boss the team.Keshi was appointed in November last year to replace Samson Siasia, who was sacked for failing to guide Nigeria to the 2012 edition of the Nations Cup in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.In 2010, a presidential task force was constituted to hire a foreign coach, Lars Lagerback, who led Nigeria to the FIFA World Cup after Shuaibu Amodu had qualified the team.Since then, the nation's football had witnessed more failures. It began with the Daniel Amokachi-led home-based Eagles' elimination by Niger Republic and followed by the WAFU Cup final defeat of Siasia-led Eagles by Togo in Abeokuta.The Super Falcons, led by Uche Eucharia, was stopped by Ghana in the race to the All Africa Games in Maputo as well as the London Olympics.Also, the country's male Olympics Eagles, led by Austin Eguavoen, was stopped in Morocco. The biggest fall, however, was the failure to make it to the last Nations Cup.
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