Stephen Okechuku Keshi: The Spirit We Need
Currently, his face adorns every major street in all the state capitals and highways in Nigeria. Peak Milk has picked his as the favoured brand to promote the ever present milk on our breakfast tables, shops and supermarkets. Every time l seethe advert my heart melts with joy for a man who has earned his enviable place in Nigeria. Stephen Okechuku Keshi has paid his due that is what the advert seems to be saying, just as Peak Milk has remained the same old reliable in the beverage industry.
To some he is a legend; to others he is a villain. But to me he is an all-time football hero worthy of emulation in a country where success is no longer measured through dint of hard work, but by some special arrangements. From the part of Delta state where l come from, there is a saying the “When a child washes his hand properly, he dines with kings.” Keshi has washed his hand so very well that he has dined (and will continue to dine) with president of nations, the high and mighty in many spheres of businesses.
The world cup has come and gone andwhile it lasted, almost every Football lovers in the country became automatic referees, commentators, analysts and coach of our dear Super Eagles. Lots of us had almost wished away the credibility of the Man of the moment because they felt that their choice rather than that of the Coach should hold sway. ButStephen Keshi finally decided the men that fought the battle in Brazil. We should not forget that any which way, not every soldier in the barrack go to war.
There can only be eleven players on each side at a time in the field of play. No doubt, as usual, the man certainly grew more grey hair with his selection headache not forgetting the sport writers, NFF, and all other organs represented in the decision making and selection process. That is why l applauded the team of our older professionals who lined up with their own having been physically involved in the game proper in the past, to insisting that Coach Keshi should be left alone to bear the burden of his choice and the consequences also.
The World Cup is over now, and the blame game as usual has taken the central stage and with or without reason, the Big Boss takes the heat but he has not disappointed. I mean in responding to the right publics in the exact manner possible. The man is very coy.
I am not into Football administration nor am I a Sport Writer. All I know about our performance in Brazil is that we were not disgraced. Again, we must go back to the drawing board and do the needful through proper planning with the right tool, fund and personnel for excellence next time. It is noteworthy that only Nigerian team among the big nations went to the tournament and got half measures treatment as Nigerian football administrators dished out to them.
Out of the pitch, Football is administration, training and logistics. That is where the money is the game and that is where we usually win or lose games. It is pertinent to note that no team went to the game with only one year training except Nigeria (ours was less than six months). Ok that was the result we got. Good enough for our efforts too. At least the team did not return in shame.
I have never met Stephen Okechuku Keshi. My closest contact with him is that l attended the same secondary school with one of his senior brothers Mr.(pardon me if the is a Chief or Ogbueshi now)Sylvester Keshi both of whom are from Illah in Delta state. Again l have never seen Sylvester after our school days, so you can see that my appraisal is not clannish, tribal or the usual imammadu-(Man- know man)syndrome.
The purpose of this writing is not to appraise the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but the performance of the man who led the team to glory. Really, l am blind in football matters because l do not know the full names of those who made the list. Not so, for most Nigerians who would lose their salaries or bet their wives for Man U, Chelsea or Baca and the rest. I am writing this because, having sat down to ruminate over our football success and heading to Brazil again for the world's most entertaining game, l came to the realisation that this is not only Stephen Keshi's year, but having paid his dues, it is his year of appreciation.
Keshi came to limelight in Nigerian football from the extinct New Nigerian Bank FC Benin City. I was not a keen admirer of his game, until he metamorphosed into the Super Eagles in the early 90's. The national team before then had had many failed foreign coaches including the famous Otto Glory, Father Tikko to mention but few. Suddenly, a Mr. Westerhoff surfaced from nowhere.
I think Westerhoff, before accepting to coach the Nigerian team then, had studied the internal politics of our Footballhouse beyond the pitch and secured the approval of the then Vice President of the Country late Vice Admiral Augustine Aikhomu to wield the big stick on any side which proves offensive to his game plan. So, because all watchers of the game then knew that the man had close to absolute power in the management of the team.
Keshi did not only develop to be part of that team, but was the favoured team captain. I think he, after observing his Technical adviser,he also took after Westerhoff especially in managing those also under him. This is part of the reasons his name became THE BIG BOSS in and out of the pitch.
Before then, Keshi, in his quest for honour in the round leather game, took his exploit to far away Belgium where he played his heart to becoming the first Nigerian Football exploit and also captained his team – Anderlechin their glorious days. He did not stop there. Upon discovering the gold in the earning of players, he developed the knack for discovering, developing and exporting players to Belgium first, and everywhere in Europe and America.
Suddenly, families started to encourage their wards to join in the league of players to attract scouts from overseas and earn big money and fame. What is more the Naira was on the slide and that was the beginning of Naira rain for the boys most of whom are now men. Today, football is a very big industry in Nigeria as it is the world over. No thanks to the man who started the export of the now professionals.
I am writing late enough so it wouldn't be thought that this is based on the FIFA World Cup tournament which ended a few months ago. As a matter of fact, l am one of those who was thrilled that we did not go beyond second round in the game. Should we have done better, every Tom, Dick and Harry would have taken any future demand of the coaching crew for granted. Nobody would have considered the selfless expert in the Coach not to mention negotiating or reviewing his salary and remuneration after the tournament.
Sylvester Keshi to some is a villain. To others he may be brutally blunt, yet some others look at him as a legend. But to me he is not only a hero, but an industry. Joining Mr. AmoduShuibu to qualify Nigeria for World Cup he was sacked with ignominy after his playing days. He left the shore of Nigeria to learn the trade properly in Europe and America and return to practice but was rejected. Undaunted, he was engaged by Mail Football Federation where his stars shone.
Done with them, he took on tiny Togo and carried them to their first ever World Cup – a feat never achieved again by that nation after his departure! Back in Nigeria, he became football news. Engaged without hope or any single soul to build his team around, he beat sceptics to win the AFCON Cup in 2013 with some tattered unknown home boys with only motivation from the Big Boss as asset!
Since his second arrival, he has been adamant in his choice of players local or international and behind his back there have been a lot of exchange and arrangements to upturn his plan for selfish ends, but all have met brick walls! The Big Boss has remained solid, refusing to accept any second rate player by his reckoning and taking full responsibility for his action, and the results are showing in sign ons of the young professionals thus creating another set of nuovo rich in the football clan.
Keshi has single headedly created jobs for many Nigerians in football, administration, accountancy, law, medicine, farming the list is longer than you think. What I mean is that there is no past or present professional Footballer who do not have employees in their sphere of business. Ask KanuNwankwo, JJ Okocka, Peter Rufai, Uche Okechuku, Jonathan Akpobori, Finidi George, Sunday Olise, MutiuAdepoju, Ikpeba and so on. The list of their employees stem from their streak of success on the round leather game as professionals! Which industry are they not found? Where we to have had the likes of Keshi in other industries we would not have had the Immigration tragedy because most of the applicants would have been employed.
From newspaper reports, despite the streak of successes as vividly demonstrated by the Big Boss, the NFF is not done yet with their contemptuous attitudes. They are not done with the intrigues about Keshi's clear contract for reason best known to the powers in the glass house. But I think it is time someone reminded all those in Football Authority in Nigeria that the fame and influence they garner in the public is but a function of the success being achieved by the coaching crew and players of the game.
Finally, the FIFA World Cup has come and gone. All the nations which show cased their players went to the tournament with their best teams and coaches. Our dear Stephen Okechuku Keshi was one of them and he did not disappoint given the resources made available to him. It is needless to say that he returned as the best African hand. It is needful that those in authority as a matter of extreme urgency should finish the engagement negotiations with our football hero and set him in good stead for other games itching toward us in few months' time.
Nigeria needs men and women who are fat with ideas to lead from the front. The Big Boss has demonstrated that with dexterity in Football, we can make the difference. With team spirit, we can always win. Let's all join hands to support our current best hand. It is a challenge we must conquer.
Football unites the nation. Stephen Keshi is the spirit we need to build the team.
STOP PRESS
I was just concluding the write up when news filtered in. First the bad one – Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) head quarter has been burnt down! Who has done it?
Secondly, Nigerian Super Falcon is making us proud in faraway Canada. They have qualified for the under 20 female World Cup finals and will fly Nigerian flag on Sunday against Germany. I wish them and all positive thinking Nigerians the best of the tournament.
Mike Akpati Is A Public Affair Analyst Based In Port Harcourt