There are strong indications that the Nigeria Football Federation and national team coach Stephen Keshi are headed on a collision course over the release of a provisional list for the pre-World Cup camp. The camp opens in London on May 26, two days before a friendly match against Scotland at Craven Cottage.
The technical Committee of the NFF which met in Abuja last week is demanding for the immediate release of a 35-man list from the coach. But Keshi is insisting he is not in a hurry to release the provisional list, adding that he was being put under undue pressure by the technical committee.
The coach was said to have accused the NFF of not passing through the right channel as he has only been reading on the pages of newspapers that he was to submit a 35-man provisional list.
“I am not in a hurry to submit the list. First, the report was that I was to submit 40 names. Now I am hearing it is 35 players. I will only submit a list of 30 players when I am ready,” he insisted yesterday
The federation was hoping to announce this provisional list of 35 players for the World Cup by the end of the week.
Relations between Keshi and the federation became frosty last week when Keshi was queried for attending a sponsor’s event in Lagos on the day he had an appointment with the technical committee.
He was also accused of embarking on an unapproved vacation in America.
Sources at the NFF disclosed last night that Keshi had also failed to reply to the issues raised in the query by the Chris Green-led committee.
After the May 28 friendly against Scotland, the Eagles will play two more friendly matches against USA and Greece in America before leaving for Brazil on June.11.
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