SPORTDIVA: WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THE GAME THAT WAS PLAYED AGAINST RWANDA, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR BOYS?
KESHI: well the performance is not totally good but the result of the match Yes, I’m very satisfied.
SPORTDIVA: HOW WAS THE SPIRIT IN CAMP?
KESHI: the spirit is so high everybody was focusing everything was good, I can see the boys they go out to pray together every night which is very good it was good, it was three weeks very tough travelling al l the time but we thank God it went well
SPORTDIVA: HOW WOULD YOU REACT TO THE CRITICISM THAT THE BOYS LABOURED FOR THE MATCH INSTEAD OF PLAYING?
KESHI: they have to labour to score goals, there’s no small team anymore Nigerians has to understand that, this team was put together under three weeks Im not sure if Nigerians really know that this team has not been put together, it’s not really a team but a collective of players that we try to put together in three weeks to play a team that has been together for four years to five years and we want miracle, if Nigerians to learn how to ne patient to build the team then we will never get it right, it will always be oh 1994 but Nigerians then were patient with him, with support of the federal government aikhomu, Babangida, abiola and he started building until he finally got what he want if we don’t do that no mourinho or capello will make that happen they should have patient and trust the local boys because we all come from the same place, utaka,aiyegbeni, mikel obi all started from home but somebody gave them the opportunity to grow so why must you be that impatient to give other young talented the same opportunity to grow until we realize there’s no other way to develop a team than to be patient and build; that patient means you play some games, loose some games and that’s how its
SPORTDIVA: WHATS YOUR NEXT STEP?
KESHI: my next step is to try to get more home based players and give more opportunities to young Nigerians playing abroad playing professionally and also bring in other experienced players; we need to blend them together.
SPORTDIVA:FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 20YEARS NO COACH HAS EVER USED 7PLAYERS TO START A COMPETITIVE GAME AND TEY DELIVERED NIGERIANS ARE ASKIING, WHAT GAVE YOU THE COURAGE TO TAKE SUCH A HUGE RISK, HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING THE LOCAL LEAGUE?
KESHI: Ive not really been watching the local league but ive got more a wonderful set of assistant coaches who’s has been helpful in the identification and selection of boys from the local league, we will continue training with them and I want to thank the NFF for giving us the opportunity to play several friendly matches that has exposed them and that has given them I little bit of experience, what surprised me is that they play well and what surprised me is that this Namibia team, ,most of them are local players, Malawi and Rwanda most of them are local players so why cant we give our local players the same opportunity to play, why do we have to go to Europe and search for players, Ethiopia n team that went to Benin and beat them at home to 1 - 0 are local players so why are we denying our home based players the same opportunity
SPORTDIVA: WHEN ARE WE EXPECTING THE OTHER PLAYERS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ON, PROFESSIONALS LIKE OSAZE, MIKEL, AIYEGBENI AND CO?
KESHI: anytime very soon I guess we might have to call them, and if they are ready to play for Nigeria you see its not about coming to Nigeria it should be about coming and playing for Nigeria if any player wants to use that opportunity to come for holiday and relax I will not tolerate but I want a player that will really give his best and give back to Nigeria, because 90% of this players abroad used Nigeria as a stepping stone to get to where they are so I don’t see no reason why any player will want to come to play for Nigeria and we have a different attitude, it should be 120% positive attitude or you don’t come
SPORTDIVA: WHATS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOYS LIKE?
KESHI: I want to say its good, we talk, we have an open policy that if you have anything t5hats mothering you, say it, if I have offended you as a coach, talk to me and vice versa I don’t have a skeleton in my cupboard I’m open, the relationship is a father/brother type and of course we have a line that we cannot cross there’s a border and theres a rule of law in camp and it cannot go beyond that line and if it goes beyond that line then it wont be okay.
SPORTDIVA: FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY OF NIGERIAN FOOTBALL, A HOMEBASED PLAYER WAS GIVEN THE MVP(MOST VALUABLE PLAYER) AWARD DURING AN INTERNATIONAL MATCH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS MILESTONE?
KESHI:at first I didn’t even realize that they gave Reuben Gabriel the MVP it was when I got to the hotel that I was told that hes MVP of that match you know I was like wow that’s awesome, im happy for him because honestly speaking they’ve all be working hard everyone of my homebased and all the foreign based it’s a shame oduamadi got injured the same thing as ehiosun but I don’t have any wrong thing to say about them, their attitude has been wonderful and I congratulate them for that.
SPORTDIVA: WHATS YOUR EXPECTATION FOR THE NATIONS CUP AND WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS?
KESHI: lets wait for that after the draws would have been made, but for now I don’t have anything to say.
SPORTDIVA: ON A PERSONAL NOTE COACH HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE?
KESHI: Ive got 5 children and they are all doing well, they live in the US
SPORTDIVA: HOW DO YOU COPE NOT BEING WITH THEM FOR THIS LONG, HOPE YOU ARE NOT DISTRACTED?
KESHI: I miss them a lot, I miss my wife I want to be with her, I have three of my kids graduated from school 2 from university but I couldn’t go, one graduated on Saturday the day of our match, one graduated Saturday when we played in Malawi, one also graduated on Thursday with masters degree and im not there, it’s a lifetime opportunity but I’m not there , these are the sacrifices we have to take they understand I spoke to them they just take it from there.
SPORTDIVA: FINALLY COACH, HOW DO YOU UNWIND, WHAT DO YOU DO APART FROM FOOTBALL?
KESHI: I watch African magic, I love watching Africa magic, I appreciate
my brothers I think there’s a lot of talents and a lot of wisdom and things that I don’t know about Nigeria because its been a long time since I left and I enjoy their movies
Follow me on twitter @aderonkeW
KESHI: well the performance is not totally good but the result of the match Yes, I’m very satisfied.
SPORTDIVA: HOW WAS THE SPIRIT IN CAMP?
KESHI: the spirit is so high everybody was focusing everything was good, I can see the boys they go out to pray together every night which is very good it was good, it was three weeks very tough travelling al l the time but we thank God it went well
SPORTDIVA: HOW WOULD YOU REACT TO THE CRITICISM THAT THE BOYS LABOURED FOR THE MATCH INSTEAD OF PLAYING?
KESHI: they have to labour to score goals, there’s no small team anymore Nigerians has to understand that, this team was put together under three weeks Im not sure if Nigerians really know that this team has not been put together, it’s not really a team but a collective of players that we try to put together in three weeks to play a team that has been together for four years to five years and we want miracle, if Nigerians to learn how to ne patient to build the team then we will never get it right, it will always be oh 1994 but Nigerians then were patient with him, with support of the federal government aikhomu, Babangida, abiola and he started building until he finally got what he want if we don’t do that no mourinho or capello will make that happen they should have patient and trust the local boys because we all come from the same place, utaka,aiyegbeni, mikel obi all started from home but somebody gave them the opportunity to grow so why must you be that impatient to give other young talented the same opportunity to grow until we realize there’s no other way to develop a team than to be patient and build; that patient means you play some games, loose some games and that’s how its
SPORTDIVA: WHATS YOUR NEXT STEP?
KESHI: my next step is to try to get more home based players and give more opportunities to young Nigerians playing abroad playing professionally and also bring in other experienced players; we need to blend them together.
SPORTDIVA:FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 20YEARS NO COACH HAS EVER USED 7PLAYERS TO START A COMPETITIVE GAME AND TEY DELIVERED NIGERIANS ARE ASKIING, WHAT GAVE YOU THE COURAGE TO TAKE SUCH A HUGE RISK, HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING THE LOCAL LEAGUE?
KESHI: Ive not really been watching the local league but ive got more a wonderful set of assistant coaches who’s has been helpful in the identification and selection of boys from the local league, we will continue training with them and I want to thank the NFF for giving us the opportunity to play several friendly matches that has exposed them and that has given them I little bit of experience, what surprised me is that they play well and what surprised me is that this Namibia team, ,most of them are local players, Malawi and Rwanda most of them are local players so why cant we give our local players the same opportunity to play, why do we have to go to Europe and search for players, Ethiopia n team that went to Benin and beat them at home to 1 - 0 are local players so why are we denying our home based players the same opportunity
SPORTDIVA: WHEN ARE WE EXPECTING THE OTHER PLAYERS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ON, PROFESSIONALS LIKE OSAZE, MIKEL, AIYEGBENI AND CO?
KESHI: anytime very soon I guess we might have to call them, and if they are ready to play for Nigeria you see its not about coming to Nigeria it should be about coming and playing for Nigeria if any player wants to use that opportunity to come for holiday and relax I will not tolerate but I want a player that will really give his best and give back to Nigeria, because 90% of this players abroad used Nigeria as a stepping stone to get to where they are so I don’t see no reason why any player will want to come to play for Nigeria and we have a different attitude, it should be 120% positive attitude or you don’t come
SPORTDIVA: WHATS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOYS LIKE?
KESHI: I want to say its good, we talk, we have an open policy that if you have anything t5hats mothering you, say it, if I have offended you as a coach, talk to me and vice versa I don’t have a skeleton in my cupboard I’m open, the relationship is a father/brother type and of course we have a line that we cannot cross there’s a border and theres a rule of law in camp and it cannot go beyond that line and if it goes beyond that line then it wont be okay.
SPORTDIVA: FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY OF NIGERIAN FOOTBALL, A HOMEBASED PLAYER WAS GIVEN THE MVP(MOST VALUABLE PLAYER) AWARD DURING AN INTERNATIONAL MATCH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS MILESTONE?
KESHI:at first I didn’t even realize that they gave Reuben Gabriel the MVP it was when I got to the hotel that I was told that hes MVP of that match you know I was like wow that’s awesome, im happy for him because honestly speaking they’ve all be working hard everyone of my homebased and all the foreign based it’s a shame oduamadi got injured the same thing as ehiosun but I don’t have any wrong thing to say about them, their attitude has been wonderful and I congratulate them for that.
SPORTDIVA: WHATS YOUR EXPECTATION FOR THE NATIONS CUP AND WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS?
KESHI: lets wait for that after the draws would have been made, but for now I don’t have anything to say.
SPORTDIVA: ON A PERSONAL NOTE COACH HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE?
KESHI: Ive got 5 children and they are all doing well, they live in the US
SPORTDIVA: HOW DO YOU COPE NOT BEING WITH THEM FOR THIS LONG, HOPE YOU ARE NOT DISTRACTED?
KESHI: I miss them a lot, I miss my wife I want to be with her, I have three of my kids graduated from school 2 from university but I couldn’t go, one graduated on Saturday the day of our match, one graduated Saturday when we played in Malawi, one also graduated on Thursday with masters degree and im not there, it’s a lifetime opportunity but I’m not there , these are the sacrifices we have to take they understand I spoke to them they just take it from there.
SPORTDIVA: FINALLY COACH, HOW DO YOU UNWIND, WHAT DO YOU DO APART FROM FOOTBALL?
KESHI: I watch African magic, I love watching Africa magic, I appreciate
 |
| stephen keshi |
my brothers I think there’s a lot of talents and a lot of wisdom and things that I don’t know about Nigeria because its been a long time since I left and I enjoy their movies
Follow me on twitter @aderonkeW
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