A former Super Eagles midfielder, Garba Lawal, has described the latest threat by Coach Stephen Keshi to end his deal with the national team, as another way of armtwisting the Nigeria Football Federation. Lawal says Keshi’s demand is outrageous and he can go to any other country if he believes he is good enough.
Speaking with Naijalog, Lawal, popularly called ‘Chindo’ in his playing days believes Keshi should have waited for the new board members to be voted in before threatening the country adding that the demands of the coach were outrageous. “Asking for N15m monthly to me is outrageous.
It was difficult to pay him the N5m the last time, how easy would it be now that he is asking for N15m?” Lawal asked. The former Roda FC of Netherland star noted that Keshi should have waited till the new board members were voted in before making such demand. “What happens if this current board agrees on a new contract and the next board fails to fulfill the terms of the contract? “This is someone that was given a mandate to take the country to the semifinal of the last World Cup and failed despite the resources at his disposal.
“He cannot rush Nigeria into making a promise is will become an embarrassment to the country in the future,” Lawal said. Stephen Keshi, recently rejected the new deal by the football federation, saying NFF’s failure to improve on his first contract was an indication that he was not wanted. “If really NFF was serious, won’t to propose the same condition that I had for two and half years, and expect me to take it for another four years. That means they don’t want me, indirectly they’re telling me they don’t want me, we can understand that,” Keshi said.