As a player, Keshi was highly influential in the national team and as a coach, he has continued to dominate the scene.
Keshi’s exploits are not only documented in the history books as Nigeria’s best indigenous manager, but as. ne of the most successful coaches ever to coach the Eagles.
The statistics are clear since the former captain of defunct New Nigeria Bank (NNB) received the baton as head coach of the Super Eagles after the sack of his former teammate, Samson Siasia in 2011.
Keshi’s coronation as Africa’s Best Coach at the 2013 Glo Caf Award is a confirmation of his quality as one of Africa’s best since he guided Togo to the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany with relatively unknown players.
The award makes him the latest Nigerian after Kadiri Ikhana (in 2003) and Okey Emordi (in 2004) to be decorated the best tactician on the continent.
Although the duo were decorated for their achievements with Enyimba.
Keshi wasn’t the first from the legendary class of the 1994 squad to manage the Super Eagles as Austin Eguavoen and Samson Siasia had their chances before him.
Interestingly, during the period Eguavoen and Siasia managed the Eagles, Keshi was busy with Togo and later Mali.
Achievements
Truth be told. Keshi has dwarfed the achievements of his predecessors.
Against all odds, Keshi led the Super Eagles to success at the 2013 Afcon, the 2013 Nelson Mandela Challenge and secured the Brazil 2014 Fifa World Cup ticket.
Critics would argue that Dutchman, Clemens Westerhof won the 1994 Afcon and qualified Nigeria for the USA ’94 World Cup, but Keshi has raised the bar.
It’s no surprise that he qualified Nigeria for the third edition of the Orange African Nations Championship (Chan) in South Africa, after two unsuccessful attempts in 2009 and 2011.
With the team in the semifinals, Keshi is on the verge of winning continental titles back-to-back with different teams.
Besides the Afcon title, Keshi raised the confidence of domestic league stars and turned the trio of Godfrey Oboabona, Sunday Mba and Gabriel Reuben, into influential members of the national team.
The trio made significant input as home-based players before heading abroad.
Since 2012 when Keshi used players in the league to earn a goalless draw against Angola, which was heading for the 2012 Afcon, he has created competition for shirts in the national team.
Bitrus Bewarang, one of Westerhof’s assistants believes Keshi should maintain his template.
“I’m not surprised Keshi has simply adopted the same approach of Westerhof. As captain of the team, he noticed all we did.
“I proud of Keshi’s achievements,” Bewarang said to supersport.com.
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