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Stephen Keshi, the Super Eagles’ Head Coach, declared on Wednesday, in Abuja, that he was not afraid of being sacked.
Keshi, whose team faces Liberia in a Nations Cup qualifier on Sept., 8, spoke against the backdrop of Sports Minister BolajiAbdullahi’s directive that the Eagles must qualify for the 2013 edition in South Africa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Eagles are slated to meet the Lone Stars of Liberia in the first leg final round of the qualifiers in Liberia.
Keshitold newsmen that if he got sacked as the Eagles’ handler, depending on the outcome of the match, it would not be the first time a coach would lose his job.
“I will not be the first coach in the world and I will not be the last if I am to be sacked.
“I qualified the Eagles with former coach Amodu Shuaibu in 2002, but we did not go to the World Cup,’’ he said.
Keshi added: “Sacking is not a big thing in our job because you are hired today and tomorrow you are fired, so what is the big deal?
“You sack me today and tomorrow, I get a better job,” Keshi said.
The coach said that he was already under pressure on how to coordinate the team to qualify for the Nations and World Cups.
“I have pressure on how I am going to direct my players and how I am going to get the best out of them to beat Liberia; that’s already enough pressure,” he said.
Keshi, who has also coached Togo and Mali, stressed that qualifying the Eagles for the Nations Cup was more paramount to him than a directive from anybody.
He noted that for any directive to make meaning, players must be well motivated.
“This game is crucial and as such the players need to feel the presence and support of everybody; this will boost their confidence, and the outcome will be a good result,” Keshi said.
The coach said that the Lone Stars would fall in Monrovia, but warned that his players must approach the match with the right attitude.
According to him, the team needs to be in good condition with excellent accommodation, feeding and a conducive atmosphere for them to perform optimally in Liberia.
