Task Before Stephen Keshi

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF),
last Tuesday, signed a long awaited
contract with Stephen Keshi, to manage the Super Eagles, as chief coach for the next two years, thus, opening the way for the proper management of the national team.
The signing of the contract signifies an end to several months of bickering over who should lead the national team since the expiration of Keshi’s parched contract after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It also put paid to anxieties over who will lead Nigeria’s national team to prosecute the 2016 African Nations Cup and lay the foundation for the 2018 World Cup campaign, for which many countries have since begun preparations in earnest.
The Tide joins millions of sports enthusiasts across the country to congratulate Keshi on his new contract, and insist that his new contract as Super Eagles chief coach is just one of the many expectations of football loving Nigerians.
Perhaps, it is important to note that in his first stint as Super Eagles coach, Keshi lost a significant part of his dressing room because of the way and manner he handled the issues concerning Ikechukwu Uche and Osaze Odemwingie, among others. We believe that  someone with Keshi’s exposure and experience, cannot afford to be egged into meaningless public rows with notable stars and play-makers in his squad.  In this second coming, he should know when to use the carrot and the stick, if the need arises, as well as how to implement such decisions.
Keshi also has to learn to respect the authority of the NFF especially with regard to administrative procedures. He has to respect those he works for, and by extension, the ordinary Nigerian fan, whose confidence he must win back because most of them had since written him off on the back of his first stint.
The Tide insists that every single call-up to the national team must be on merit. Besides, he must ensure that players do not use the national team platform as a rehabilitation centre or shop window for big-money transfers as only those in form and playing regularly must represent Nigeria at all times. Keshi also has to improve his scouting prowess so as to discover fresh talents for the Super Eagles, to enable them meet expectations of Nigerians.
Nigerians desire a Super Eagles team they can be proud of, a coherent team with clear-cut tactics, a team they can rely on to take  goal opportunities when they come. Keshi has to understand this quest, just as he must work hard to have good knowledge of his opposition, and deploy best tactics to win every unique game.
We agree that Keshi had been a great player, and worked as a coach overseas, but it is clear from all indications, that he still has a lot to learn on the job, given his technical performances at the 2014 World Cup and 2015 African Nations Cup qualifiers. He must be open to new ideas, and ready to submit himself to refresher courses abroad.
We think that Keshi must begin the process of building a brand new, dynamic and young team that is hungry for goals. We also appeal to the Ministry of Sports, National Sports Commission (NSC) and the NFF to be more focused on their individual responsibilities, and work ahead to raise funds for activities of the national team, including liaising or partnering with private sector organisations to mobilise sufficient resources to fund all programmes of the national team.
They must work together to organize first grade friendlies for the players, pay their allowances as and when due, as well as ensure that arrangements are perfected early enough, including visa and travel processes for all games.
Aside the issues around the players’ welfare, we think that this time, Keshi’s employers must no longer play politics with payment of his salary and allowances as agreed in the new contract. They must release his entitlements as and when due to avoid a replay of the ugly past.
The time is now when the Ministry of Sports, the NSC and the NFF must work together to save Nigeria the embarrassment of budget failures, botched matches as a result of lack of funds, and late preparations  for scheduled competitions.