NFF To Appoint An Interim Coach For The Nations Cup Qualifiers As Rwanda Are Disqualified And Replaced With Congo

There are very strong indications that the Nigeria Football Federation will this week announce an interim coach for the game against Congo on September 6 in Calabar. The Confederation of African Football replaced Rwanda with Congo on Sunday following their disqualification for using an ineligible player.

The PUNCH learnt on Sunday that the machinery has been put in place to get another Nigerian to stand in until a decision is taken on Stephen
Keshi's second term as the Super Eagles coach.

A member of the federation who spoke with our correspondent said that it had become very evident that the NFF and Keshi cannot conclude their discussion in time for the 2015 Africa Nations Cup qualifier. The NFF had planned to
use Keshi while the negotiation continued.

He said, "You know so many things have happened in the last few days especially with the FIFA decision on Nigeria. But above all, Keshi and the federation appear to be still far apart to make any conclusion in few days' time. The federation offered to maintain his current salary but he has instead demanded a whopping N15m which is N10m difference. The federation has offered him a four-year contract to make long term planning easier for both sides but he is asking for one year with option of renewable.

September 6 is a breath away and the game is very important for us and so we have to use plan B and then continue the discussion with
him later."

The interim coach is expected to be announced before the week runs out as the federation calls up the players for the game.

The interim manager will be chosen under the leadership of Alhaji Aminu Maigari who is billed resume in office today (Monday) as the NFF president. The world football governing body FIFA overruled his purported impeachment of July 25.

Maigari's resumption was announced by the sports minister Dr. Tammy Danagogo in a joint press conference with Maigari on Friday in Abuja.

And for the game, CAF organising committee disqualified Rwanda following a protest made by the Congolese Football Federation regarding the eligibility of Rwandan player, Birori Dady. Dady had featured in the first leg of the second round qualifier between the two countries last month in Pointe-Noir. Congo claimed that Dady, who
plays for AS Vita Club in Kinshasa, has a different name and age in his passport.

CAF established that the player also uses a different age in his passport, and that the two identities referred to a single person.

Defending champions Nigeria are in same group alongside Sudan, South Africa and with this resolution, Congo.