As Nigeria prepare for two must-win matches this month, the return of the Big Boss throws up many tantalizing questions; can he get it right this time?
The ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ remains one of the iconic moments in sport.
It was this week 40 years ago that, after withstanding brutal punishment for seven rounds in the sweltering heat of Kinshasa, Muhammed Ali stood defiant, in the face of convention and against all odds: champion of the world. It is a fight, and outcome, that inspired generations, lionized almost to the point of being apocryphal; a paean to endurance.
It may well have inspired Stephen Keshi.
The Big Boss has simply refused to go. Try as the NFF might; against a groundswell of negative opinion that exploded in boos at the Abuja National Stadium on the 15th of October, Keshi stands proud and unscathed. He will once again coach the African champions, invisible hands have decreed it, and the NFF leadership knows better than to bite the digits that feed it.
Whether this action constitutes government interference seems to be open to interpretation; apparently Fifa recognises the judiciary but not necessarily the executive as an arm of government.
Two wrongs making a right?
Maybe it is only ‘government interference’ when one of the involved parties disagrees with the status quo, as everyone's favourite pantomime villain Chris Giwa did.
Giwa | 'Everyone's favourite pantomime villain'
For a man who has resigned twice and been relieved once, the post seems to positively cling to Keshi. This latest intervention, by the Presidency no less, follows a precedent set at the end of the 2013 Cup of Nations. Keshi sensationally resigned at the height of his popularity, ostensibly at his wits’ end over the antics of the NFF, who had sought to replace him mid-tournament in a contemptuous show of bad faith.
He was given assurances and returned emboldened and with an outsized chip on his shoulder. Now that the same scenario has played out, are we likely to see more of the same from Keshi?
Let us not forget: Amaju Pinnick, new NFF president, has openly stated he is not a big fan of the Big Boss’s style or methods. It is not a stretch to imagine the Glass House will not take kindly to having been emasculated before the world, and particularly before an employee. Will the 52-year-old display the diplomacy needed to defuse a potentially tense working relationship?
Diplomacy has never really been Keshi’s style. Following the decision to let him go after the win over Sudan in October, he stated churlishly that he had offers from other countries on the African continent. He spent the previous week courting the interest of the Ghana FA, an indication he was not simply sitting around waiting for his phone to ring.
How does he feel about this directive to return then? He was not surely as powerless in the matter as he made out; he was well within his rights to say to the President: “Thanks but no, thanks.”
It is one of the perks of democracy.
So why did he not?
Considering he will not work with the Presidency day-to-day, he is smart enough to know the NFF have the capacity, and now maybe even the motivation, to make his return an unpleasant one. After all, the ‘saboteurs’ he bemoaned have certainly not ceased to exist.
One can imagine then that he has gotten certain assurances about his position and working conditions. Now more than ever is the time to leverage on his political clout with Aso Rock.
And what happens with Shaibu Amodu now?
Amodu | The briefest of reigns
Nigeria’s ‘King of the Qualifiers’ is yet to take charge of a single game, and now finds himself out of a job before it has begun. There is no acrimony though, Amodu has been vocal in his support for Keshi’s reinstatement. However, it is hardly an ideal situation to be hired, and then have that decision overturned.
He cannot be faulted for honouring the call of his country time and again, but surely at some point he has to draw the line and close that door. If he is unwilling to, and wishes to remain in the frame for the top-job in the future, then it is perhaps best he takes up a position in the Nigeria Premier League and show the world precisely why he is the go-to guy in these situations
For their part, Keshi’s on-field lieutenants will heave a huge sigh of relief. They clearly enjoy playing under the Big Boss; the celebration of the goals against Sudan was an elaborate show of solidarity. The uncertainty of a new regime might not have elicited focus or optimum performance, which is precisely what is needed for the must-win games against Congo and South Africa in two weeks.
If he secures maximum points in Pointe-Noire and Uyo, you would not bet against him leading an Afcon title defence next year.
Love him or hate him, Keshi’s staying power is admirable. Now to transmit some of that tenacity to the Super Eagles.
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