Keshi Signs Contract As Botswana Arrives For Friendly

New Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi signed his contract yesterday at a ceremony inside the Media Centre of the Abuja National Stadium Complex.

Keshi, the longest-reigning captain of the Nigeria senior team in history, was last Wednesday,  named the new Super Eagles’ Head Coach by the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, following a recommendation by the Technical Sub-Committee.

‘Big Boss’ as he was fondly known in his playing days, has already named former Eagles’ players Sylvanus Okpala and Daniel Amokachi as his assistants, with Ike Shorounmu, Nigeria’s first choice goalkeeper at the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals, as goalkeepers’ trainer.

A welcome address by NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari will be followed by the signing of the contractual agreement between the NFF and Keshi, with the NFF and Nigerians expecting the new Head Coach to not only return the Super Eagles to the top drawer of the international game, but also to qualify Nigeria for the 2013 African Nations Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.

Also yesterday, the Senior Team of Botswana, otherwise known as The Zebras,  flew into the country for Saturday’s international friendly match against the Super Eagles at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

The 32-man delegation (23 players and nine officials), which will fly into Nigeria aboard a Kenyan Airways flight at 20:40 hours, will sleep over in Lagos before connecting an Arik Air flight to Benin City on Friday morning.

The Chipolopolo of Zambia, who take turn against the Super Eagles at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna in another international friendly on Tuesday, will arrive in Nigeria on Sunday.