NIGERIA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Nigeria Football Federation appoint Stephen Keshi as new national team soccer coach the Super Eagles after sacking Samson Siasi

Record ID: 235363

  • Title: NIGERIA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Nigeria Football Federation appoint Stephen Keshi as new national team soccer coach the Super Eagles after sacking Samson Siasi
  • Date: 11th November 2011
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (NOVEMBER 10, 2011) (REUTERS) STEPHEN KESHI, THE NEW SUPER EAGLE COACH AND OFFICIALS OF THE NIGERIAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION AT THE UNVIALING CEREMONY FANS AND OTHER OFFICIALS AT THTE UNVAILING CEREMONY STEPHEN KESHI AND AMINU MAIGARI, NIGERIAN FOOTBALL FEDEARTION PRESIDENT TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEPHEN KESHI, NEWLY APPOINTED SUPER EAGLES COACH SAYING: "It wasn't a very difficult decision for me to come back to Nigeria, I had other offers, I was on the verge of signing when I was called upon but I had to make a u-turn, its my land calling, its my blood, so I thank God that I am here for this opportunity." SOCCER FANS AT THE EVENT STEPHEN KESHI SIGNING CONTRACT PAPERS JOURNALISTS AND FANS AT TEH CEREMONY STEPHEN KESHI AND AMINU MAIGARI, NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION PRESIDENT SHAKING HANDS MORE OF CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEPHEN KESHI, NEWLY APPOINTED SUPER EAGLES COACH SAYING: "I am not going to promise you I will take you to heaven but I tell you, I will give you 200 percent of my hard work." THE AUDIENCE SACKED FORMER COACH SAMSON SIASIA PRESENTING NATIONAL JERSEY
  • Embargoed: 26th November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria, Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAASDJLKKPZ936PJ1DGBIRU5D6W
  • Story Text: The Nigeria Football Federation have appointed Stephen Keshi as national team coach replacing Samson Siasia, who was sacked last week after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Nations Cup.
    Speaking at a packed news conference announcing his new position, Keshi said he was delighted to step up to the challenge after spending time playing in Belgium and learning coaching in the United States.
    "It wasn't a very difficult decision for me to come back to Nigeria, I had other offers, I was on the verge of signing when I was called upon but I had to make a u-turn, its my land calling, its my blood, so I thank God that I am here for this opportunity," he said.
    Keshi, former captain of the Super Eagles squad that qualified for the World Cup in 1994 and beat Zambia to take the Africa Cup of Nations championship that same year, said he would do his best to reverse the team's recent misfortunes after a disastrous failure to qualify for next year's Africa Cup in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
    "I am not going to promise you I will take you to heaven but I tell you, I will give you 200 percent of my hard work," added Keshi.
    After signing contract papers and shaking hands with Nigeria Football Federation President Aminu Maigari, Keshi was presented with a team jersey by sacked coach Samson Siasia.
    Siasia's dismissal came after a meeting last month with the Nigeria Football Federation who said his position had become untenable when the team failed to qualify for Africa's top soccer tournament.
    Keshi's first challenge will be to lead the squad out against Botswana and Zambia in international friendly matches next week.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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