We sacked Keshi To Save His Life- NFF

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick has said
that Coach Stephen Keshi was sacked to safeguard him from the wrath of
enraged Nigerian fans, who were on the
brink of lynching him during Wednesday’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with Sudan.

Pinnick and other NFF Executive
Committee members watched with awe,
as fans pelted Keshi with water bottles
and stones as they demanded for the
head of the 2013 AFCON winner at the
Abuja National Stadium, venue of the
match, which Nigeria won 3-1 to keep
alive their hopes of qualifying for next
year’s tournament in Morocco.

Chants of “Keshi must go:, “sack Keshi”
and “we don’t want Keshi again” rented
the air as fans went overdrive in their
bid to get their voices heard by the NFF,
who swiftly swung into action in the wee
hours of yesterday by axing the former
Togo and Mali coach.

And speaking when he paid a courtesy
visit to the Minister of Sports and
Chairman, National Sports Commission,
Dr. Tamuno Danagogo yesterday,
Pinnick explained the personal safety of
Keshi was considered more important
than anything else.

Pinnck, it was learnt that he told the Minister that he was shocked with the hostile reception of the fans towards Keshi,
arguing that it would be dangerous for
Keshi to remain as coach in the face of
such hostility.

He added that it was the first time in
recent years that abuses and stones were
rained down on a Nigerian coach by
fans.

“It was too much to bear. The fans were
coming for him and it was going to be a
security risk for us as people had ran out
of patience and were prepared to break
the law to achieve their aim. Keshi’s
personal safety was paramount in our
decision to relieve him of his duties”,
Pinnick said.
VanGuard