If not Keshi, get Mourinho, Guardiola – Minister

Sports minister, Tam Danagogo has warned the Nigeria Football Federation not to employ a lesser coach than Stephen Keshi should the ex-Togo coach decline to lead the Super Eagles.

Keshi has until Thursday this week to revert to the NFF over the contract offered him.

“What I have urged the NFF to do is to make sure that should Keshi not be given the job, a coach with a lesser pedigree than Keshi should not be employed. I have said we should encourage our local coaches,” Danagogo said.

“Many have argued that presently Keshi is the best we have for now, while others are of the view that he has done his best.

“What I am saying is this, if Keshi declines the job, let’s look for another competent hand from the home front. But if we must get a foreign coach, then we must get the best hands not just any foreign coach.”

He added: “And when we say the best hands, we should be looking at coaches in the class of the Jose Mourinho’s of this world, Pep Guardiola… Those are the kind of coaches we should be looking at.

“But if we say Keshi is the best hand locally, I am not saying we should give him the job, but what we can do is help our local hands get better by sending them to refresher courses to make them better.”