Newly-appointed Super Eagles Technical Director, Shuaibu Amodu has implored the senior national team coach, Stephen Keshi to leave his job following his failure to qualify the team for the 2015 African Nations Cup.
The former Super Eagles coach stated that Keshi has failed in his duty as a coach and did not deserve a second chance. He added that he should follow the footsteps of U-23 coach, Samson Siasia who left his job after he faced a similar situation few years ago.
“We must be very careful as we address the Stephen Keshi issue. As a colleague, I sympathize with his situation in two ways. For those who were there when I was called up from the technical department to come and complete the remaining two AFCON qualifiers, I said that if I had my way, I would have said he be allowed to finish the assignment so that we would be in a better position to assess him.
“In between that, if I had to go in and take the task because I had no choice then as it were, and I had succeeded with the team, it would have been good, but he too would have boasted that he could have also qualified the team if they had allowed him. Also if I had failed, I would go down and all that I have achieved on my career would probably had gotten a question mark. I was happy when the issues began to turn around later as if it was how I wanted it to be and he was allowed to complete the job.
“Now that is over, I think you guys are in a better position to assess him because as a coach, you are as good as your last game. At that time, I reckoned that if I had taken the job and failed, it would affect my reputation. I think any professional coach would assume the same position. He alone will decide whether he still has the reputation or not. If you still have the reputation, you leave, if you do not, you stay like a beggar.
“In my opinion, he has failed and should go. To keep him is to set a bad precedence. When Siasia failed with the Super Eagles, the whole country told him
told him to go and Jonathan could not save him. If we want to live on those standards, then he has failed and should go because what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. The situation as it is today, if I were Keshi, I would say sorry, I have failed this time around. I can try another time, so let another person take over.” He concluded.