HomeNigerian Footballers Abroad

Taiwo: Keshi’s ‘Dirty Deals’ Made Me Quit Super Eagles

Taiwo: Keshi’s ‘Dirty Deals’ Made Me Quit Super Eagles

Former Super Eagles defender Taye Taiwo has accused former handler of the side Stephen Keshi of forcing him out of the team through his dirty dealings.

Taiwo made just one single appearance under the late Keshi, which was also the last of his 59 caps for the the three-time African champions.

The former Marseille of France defender claimed that he dumped the Super Eagles because he does not want to be associated with dirty glory under Keshi.

“I am someone who doesn’t want dirty glory and in my life, I have never been involved in what is not clean and that was why I packed my bags and left the Super Eagles,” Taiwo was quoted by Legit.

Read Also: Utaka: What Rigobert Song Told Me Before Nigeria – Cameroon 2004 AFCON Clash

”I cannot work or stay where I see that is dirty because I am serving a clean God, and if I am in an area that is not clean, I will have to leave the place.

”When they appointed Stephen Keshi as coach, he was acting somehow in which I told myself that it was time for me to leave the Super Eagles.

”I packed my bags and I told my wife and family that I cannot be involved in dirty deals.”

Taiwo played at three AFCON tournaments and was part of the Super Eagles squad that featured at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.


Copyright © 2024 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com.

COMMENTS

WORDPRESS: 121
  • Hmmmmm…. and the local champion called Legend will wrote in his nonsense column that indigenous coach is ther best.

    • Oakfield 4 years ago

      Lol!!! No mind that shameless local champion

      • Ambrose 2 years ago

        Ask Taiye the club he was playing for in 2013 when Keshi won the nations cup. Taiye was in Dynamo Kiev on loan and later Bursaspor.
        I would rather play a sunshine, Kano Pillars, Eyimba…or any player in the Nigerian league than play an aging or aged Taye. The team already had a liability in an aged Yobo. He was not a regular at the nations cup people complained. Keshi played him against France at the world cup and we conceded 2 quick goals courtesy of Yobo. 2 goals with 15 mins left to play. Yobo scored an own goal.
        Keshi won the nations cup and got to the world cup without Taiye Taye. Taiye Taye is a jester. Yeye dey smell

        • Manug 9 months ago

          Rubbish! Your comment on the club he played for, doesn’t change the validity or otherwise of his statement. Did Keshi engage in dirty deals? We cannot tell. It has nothing to do with what club he plays. We have had players who are clybless dorn the Eagles jersey and perform.

    • OKWUOSE GODWIN 4 years ago

      You did not say or mention his dirty deal. Kindly let’s know.

    • Ambrose 2 years ago

      Ask Taiye the club he was playing for in 2013 when Keshi won the nations cup. Taiye was in Dynamo Kiev on loan and later Bursaspor.
      I would rather play a sunshine, Kano Pillars, Eyimba…or any player in the Nigerian league than play an aging or aged Taye. The team already had a liability in an aged Yobo. He was not a regular at the nations cup people complained. Keshi played him against France at the world cup and we conceded 2 quick goals courtesy of Yobo. 2 goals with 15 mins left to play. Yobo scored an own goal.
      Keshi won the nations cup and got to the world cup without Taiye Taye. Taiye Taye is a jester. Yeye dey smell

      • Shey na keshi make am no dey do well for him club too. Make the guy go sit down

  • Hmm, but Taiwo should be bolder and get more specific joor. Don’t be afraid of anybody. You gat nothing to lose at this stage.

    Keshi started well and got fantastically corrupted soon after 2013 Afcon win. In fact, he totally wasted our 2014 Fifa World Cup ticket with ridiculous team selections. Even though Rohr’s team was knocked out at the last minute by semi-finalist Argentina and edged out 1-2 by finalists Croatia, that team was miles ahead of Keshi’s 2014 team and played more exciting, promising football. Except for the likes of Emenike, Odemwingie, Yobo, Omeruo, Onazi etc Keshi’s 2014 team was total dross.

    • Wow, very funny. Please which Argentina made the semi-finals in 2018. Is it the one Dr drey assembled in his back yard in vienna. Agreed keshi went to the world cup with a weak team in your own view, so how is the performance of the 2018 better than the 2014 and yet with went with the best squad.

      • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

        Was the 2018 group as weak as the 2014 group…?? Despite the fact that we went to 2014 WC as African Champions we were only able to win one match in that weak group.

        Even as much as you hate Rohr, your conscience knows that Rohr’s 2018 team would have defeated IRAN and BOSNIA if we had such weak group, despite the fact that we went to the 2018 having not been able to even qualify for afcon back to back….yet we still one 1 match and were 4 minutes aways from our best ever world cup placing achieved by 2 AFCON defending champion teams.

        • Goal ⚽️ 4 years ago

          Your response is very weak, Nigeria team to world cup 2014 is superior to the 2018 team.
          At least the team is confident enough that they can beat Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina, though sometimes the results you wanted does come your way.
          2018 team is low in confidence if not they should have beat the worst Argentina team in world cup history.

          We are all matured enough to always speak the truth.

        • Please tell me when have i stated i hated Rohr, You just like attention, and i don’t have time for noise makers like you

          • Sylvester 2 years ago

            If Rohr must be sacked, let it be after the nation’s cup

        • funsho Jonathan 11 months ago

          how did Rohr end, what was his achievements compare to Keshi ? we never like our local coaches no matter how much they try their best and our foreign players don’t want to take instructions from them they feel they know too much and that’s why some of them are no where to be found. Take a look at d qualifying games they’re playing struggling with mere local teams in African with d best professionals.

  • LMAO, more, more come forth and say it. I am really not surprised.Few weeks ago, the Assistant Manager of the team, Daniel Amokachi on his brila radio program pit bull maintained that more than half of the  Nigerian players at the World Cup have no business being in the team.

    Mark my words, the day Siasia, Odegbami etc will drop dead is the day we will start hearing all their dirty behind the scene deals.

    No one should think that these players are lying. They are all saying the truth.

  • Biafra 4 years ago

    Why talking now since how many years
    Stupid man

    • Ugwudede 4 years ago

      With all due respect to the name you are using. We do not expect the user of this name to use derogatory words to address a fellow the way you did. Pls accord the name some dignity

    • Mitchu 4 years ago

      U so much sound stupid bro

    • Yhykhy2000 4 years ago

      My friend. …this is Nigeria not biafra …..please we need Nigerian to comment here…….my igbos Nigerians are welcome here,hausa and yoruba Nigerians also welcome here…..please comment on biafra news…..

  • My fellow Nigerian, did anyone notice the attitude of ikechwuku kalu toward Steven keshi during that 2013 afcon tournament?

    Could this also be linked to the so called dirty and shady activities that characterised the reign of oga Keshi as an indigenous coach back then?

    Remember the guy wasn’t in good term with keshi

    • Kelvin 4 years ago

      My guy stop defending Nigeria coaches in the past,they committed many evils in the course of selecting evils,my friends were affected in the golden eaglet and flying eagles ,I don’t want mention names and years .For our football to move forward,please NFA should not engage any local coach at any levels even under 12 if there is anything like that.They love money more than achievements and good names.Chinedu obasi said it last week how keshin demanded money from him so that he can made world cup squad.we know the story of Samson siasia with FIFA life ban,even though he denied it,we all know the truth.Yusuf salisu we all know the reasons he was sacked from super eagles.i have said within my self,anytime they appoint local coach for SE,I will not support them.See the way segun odegbemi and the rest are attacking Rhor despite doing well because they are not getting 20 percent cut from his salary.Nonesense people.

      • Chuks 4 years ago

        Obasi never mentioned Keshi’s name as the person who demanded bribe from him. Please get your facts right.

      • Kasilas Kiambo 1 year ago

        Yes I remember this Taiwo guy
        Is it not Taye Taiwo that was celebrating his 23rd birthday while his twin brother was celebrating his 35th birthday anniversary. No be juju be that?

        • twin sister you mean

        • There is no perfect system…Even in Europe teams and club level .if you dit into a coach style there is nothing you can do… Keshi was a coach that dono take nonsense ..it was a pity you miss out of the party to be an Afcon champion

    • Fools why saying rubbish now when the man is no more?

  • Omo9ja 4 years ago

    Thanks for the input Taiwo. Like I said on here last week, Nigeria needed total restructuring.

    In one word, there must be rules of law. We can not build a house without a solid foundation. Come on my people.

    Let me use (Funkę Akindele) a Nigerian movie artist) as an example. She knew Nigeria has rules and regulations but we don’t follow them. She acted funny and rules of law showed her a huge lesson.

    Another example is Mr. Salisu Yusuff. He took bribe and rules of law punished him.

    Now, this is what i don’t understand about “Nigerian law”.

    Lulu, he went scot free. The current NFF, they are all above the law. Nigerian Politicians are all above the law. Nigerian laws are for the poor. Even, the poor themselves are following their leaders footsteps. That is the reason why we are seeing our indigenous coaches taking bribe.

    consequently, this is where “Sections 2020” of my constitution comes in and its says,

    “When rich rob the poor it’s called BUSINESS but when the poor fight back it’s called violence”.

    Hmm. That is to say, for us to get things right in this country, Rome wasn’t built in a day. We must respect the law.

    I can say the future is bright if Mr. Dare, the sports Minister is still in charge of Nigerian sports. That is the only hope for now. Such is life. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!

    • Chairmanfemi 4 years ago

      So after you’ve identified this yourself that Nigerian Coaches are corrupt and will distabilize the Team Chemistry if they are given the opportunity…You still want them as Eagles coach?? @Omo9ja. You are being real here which is good so answer my question realistically

    • Funny ooo, some people are attacking others with opinions that do not favour their candidate! Too bad even when money is not involved here we still act like everything is ok. God help us. Naija with attitude

  • The truth is, Our indigenous coaches don’t know how to manage our senior players in the super eagles. We always experience crisis in the super eagles when our indigenous coaches our in charge.

    • Ugwudede 4 years ago

      I beg to slightly disagree. But if you said so why not build from the scratch by allowing the coach to grow with the team. Amunike groomed mejority of the boys in the team now. Why not appoint him to handle the super eagles because he will do much more better than the current coach. He has proved that within and outside the shore of Nigeria and give all the benefits that the current coach has and give a five year program i bet you he will win world cup. Not all Nigerians are curropt. Oliseh for sure is not but the big boys in the team as at the time he took over the team were already feeling like lords in the team and had created their maffian group in that team. It wasn’t any man-management error for him to cut the bad ego in that team so that they report early and be serious with the team

      • Henry 2 years ago

        All your assertions are based on assumption, we can criticise the current handlers all we want, but they have started a journey let them finish it, after all, we failed to qualify for afcon as easy as it sounds using indigenous coaches.

        I don’t understand us in this country, how Can you give some a target and won’t allow him to do his work, for God sake.

        You say you want afcon manager has done it, you say you want to go to world cup manager is on it, what else do we want?

        That was how the so-called retired players and fans were calling for the head of Keshi while in a tournament, all their prayers is for him to fail, but God will always prove them wrong.

        If you want to sack him let him fail on the parameters you set for him then, any action taken will be justified.

  • Sammy 4 years ago

    Daniel Amokachi (Team Asst. Manager): Many of the players we took to the 2014 World Cup had no business being in the team.

    Brown Ideye: I was asked to retain my agent who was going to cost me move to the premier league, in order to retain any hope of going to the 2014 World Cup.

    Chinedu Obasi: I was asked to pay a bribe to be part of the team to the 2014 World Cup.

    Emmanuel Sarki: I was asked to pay a USD 10,000 bribe to be part of the 2014 world cup.

    Taiye Taiwo: I left the national team under Keshi because I wanted no part in dirty deals.

    Still to come: IK Uche (for sure) and probably John Ogu, Osaze Odemwigie, Victor Moses and Obafemi Martins.

    Ladies and gentlemen, need I say more. In the mouth of 2 witnesses a matter is confirmed. We have five (5) witnesses to corruption by Keshi and friends. We have the FIFA ban as serious dents against Siasia and Salisu Yusuf.

    Anyone advocating local coaches for the national team at this time should please go and sleep.

    • Why should we go and sleep, because of an allegation that can’t be proven. You Nigerians like assumptions too much. This can’t see the day of light in a competent court house. Were you there when the bribe was offered, please let all of them go and sit down, they are cowards if they couldn’t speak the truth at the moment the request was made. We saw how FIFA caught and dealt with there members who were receiving bribe. They had evidence, video evidence for that matter. So please until they show us proof, i will suggest they stop whinning.

      • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

        Where you also there to confirm that bribery didn’t take place…???

        A crime is a crime even if it took place 100years ago. A woman who was taped in 1985 came out in 2018 and the rapist was jailed in 2020. It takes the courage of one to expose the evil done to many.

        Witnesses statements are as admissible as video recordings in a court of law. Infact there are situations when judges would even refuse to admit video recordings.

        What other evidence do you need that is different from the list of players taken to that tournament. Even fit as fidle Ideye, Ogu, Mbah who played at the afcon and confed cup were dropped for people who had not played 10 matches all season for their clubs and you are looking for evidence….? And pls what was the excuse for dropping our best players in Europe for injured, unfit and bench warming players…???

        Even the assistant coach at that time has confessed on live radio that such things where taking place in the national team and that many players taken to the world cup in 2014 had no business there. 4 or 5 different players have testified, Yet you that is Senior Advocate of the Masses is here asking for evidence. Don’t worry…wait we are coming ehn. Let me go and bring evidence for you from the Atlantic Ocean.

        Continue to defend evil and corruption because of fake patriotism. The world is watching..

        • Guess the bribery took place in your backyard in Vienna. Yet you will ranting here as if you were present. Stop all this assumptions. Even this will not sell. Only blind nigerians will not be objective on this issue.

          • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

            So you too you where there in the SE camp to confirm that the bribery didn’t take place that you are now defending your corrupt exinternationals….???

            Birds of same feathers flock together Indeed.

            Mr objectivity…LMAO

          • Toyosi 2 years ago

            Taiwo,pls tell us your real age.Is that not dirty?
            Remove the log in your eyes first

        • Now i know you spew nonsense, which court court will accept such proof without evidence, Maybe the make shift court you created in Vienna. And i know the Austrian courts will not even accept such. Please stop brainwashing intelligent people, you gullible followers can come to your court and you be the chief judge and dig the grave and take keshi to court. Bunch of nonsense

          • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

            Hehehehehe…. intelligent people…?? I hope you are not counting yourself amongst them…?!
            Because I’m sure even your brain is not away of all the trash you have been typing to defend the shameful corruption that was going on in our national team.
            You will tell us which court does not accept confessional statements.

            5 bribery reports….Confessional statements from the Assistant Coach at that time, but mumu still carry big mouth dey defend bribery corruption…LMAO

            Maybe the players and Amokachi will carry the evidence and come and show you in the poultry house where you live.

            Bloody money miss road. Mr Objectivity…! Lolz.

          • Goal ⚽️ 4 years ago

            Bro Drey don’t leave in Vienna, he leaves in Nederland, he is one of the assistance being paid by oga Rohr.

      • Yusuf 4 years ago

        You’re proudly talking in the nonsense

        • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

          Don’t mind him…he has been talking his Nonsense alone since when even the assistant coach of the team made confessions of sharp practices in that squad.

          He’s the Senior Advocate of Nigeria that knows more than even Dan Amokachi

          • Yusuf 4 years ago

            Lmfao
            Ade SAN! Lol

          • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

            Don’t mind the oversabi that claims Nigerian media are lairs but is stuck on CSN like flies to pit latrine. LMAO

      • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

        http://africa.espn.com/football/nigeria/story/3493688/daniel-amokachis-ideye-brown-lesson-must-be-heeded-by-gernot-rohr?platform=amp#click=https://t.co/GLcTBQHKYG

        Go and read this expose from as far back as 2018

        Note what Amokachi said

        “….Daniel Amokachi, who was assistant coach at the time, told KweséESPN in an exclusive interview that he had no idea how and why Ideye was cut from the squad…..Brown for me was one player that I regret that we did not take to the World Cup in 2014,” Amokachi said, speaking for the first time about the incident that shocked a nation….Hundred percent I didn’t know how he didn’t make that list,” he added. “I never saw it coming that he didn’t make the list till when the list came out and we found out.
        …”We ended up going to the World Cup with players that even me I don’t even know.”

        He further said
        “…”I think it is very tough if a coach is already an agent,” Amokachi continued. “It is very, very difficult, and that is why I always say you cannot be a coach and be an agent at the same time….”

        Who do you think he was referring to in the statement above…??

        How did 4 players who between them had just 7 caps for the national team and didn’t have move than a combined 30 appearances for their clubs the whole season make the team ahead of players who were playing week in week out and were banging goals left right and centre for their clubs in Europe…??

        Later you will claim you are objective…LMAO

        • Henry 2 years ago

          The same thing they wanted to do with iheanacho if you can remember.

      • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

        If you want to test the power of confession, you go and confess to a crime you didn’t commit first and and see if you won’t rot in jail even without hard evidence…LMAO.

        Mr. Senior Advocate of Corruption…LMAO

      • Demangoes 4 years ago

        don’t mind all those that are saying bad stuff against Nigeria coaches,is platini and Blatter from nigeria.we should stop this negative comments on our past and present heroes it’s not encouraging at all.am an ex players too but I can’t just desend so low like taye taiwo and co if some of us come out I tell you what Keshi has done for us and our family you may want to stone some people sef. we all had beater experiences one way or the other but not coming out and be saying rubbish it doesn’t show how mature we are,I will never say anything bad against any of my Nigeria coaches or ex players I Will only want to continue to advise them positively to do the right thing.

    • Chuks 4 years ago

      “I was asked to…” Who asked him? No answer. Can they substantiate those statements listed above? I doubt if they can. Anybody can make those statements. I’m not thrilled by those.

  • Firstly, Amokachi, later, Ideye then Obasi, Zarki and Now Taiwo.
    Hmmmm…. it’s good to be good.
    This man(keshi)is dead but see what people are saying about him.
    Lesson to Mr Anti Rohr with high BP.
    Start saying good things about your fellow human.
    Because NFF are already try to add to your sickness by adding under 17,20 and 23 to Rohr’s contract

  • Galax 4 years ago

    Since they could never say it when he was alive they are cowards,for tiawo he was never meant to make that team.lets be sincere

    • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

      An AC Milan/QPR player was not going to make the team which Benjamin Francis, Erhun Obanor and Juwon Oshaniwa were struggling to make…?

      Cmon guys let’s be serious here…!

      • What a shame, so because you play for a top club means automatic shirt abi, Please were you at the training ground to know what was going on. Please don’t come up with this ridiculous excuse. Many top players are axed due to performance. Sane of Germany was dropped, do you want to tell me he wasn’t a great player. Please how many games did he play for AC Milan and Qpr, last time i checked he was warming the bench

        • Yusuf 4 years ago

          You’re still confidently talking in the rubbish

          • Yes let me talk in the rubbish and you continue to be stupid when you have no facts. and you want to make a case for something you know nothing about. Please start commenting when you have proof. Let them go learn from FIFA how Amos Adamu was caught

        • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

          Oga keep quiet and stop ranting like a ranked dog.
          Sane was not dropped for an interior player. He was dropped for a superior player.
          Taiye taiwo was playing week in week out in Europe. He was fit as a fiddle. If it is so easy to play in Europe why didn’t those ones also play in Italian league or English premiership even if it is once in their entire careers…??? What have you heard about them since 2014 after Keshi was sacked. taye taiwo is till playing in Europe till today ….you are jus ramblings yen yen yen yen up and down giving ridiculous points to defend shameless acts

          • Lord AMO 4 years ago

            Come on Mr. Ade. When the obvious is staring you in the face, it’s utter foolishness to state otherwise. I get it, you want to be contrarian but even the staunchest denialists have to admit that right now you are simply defending the indefensible and not really looking good while doing so.

            I can see one, maybe even two players coming up with this allegation and people dismissing it but come on man, 5 different players plus all the evidence of the lackluster players chosen to go to Brazil and yet you still want to be stubborn? Okay o…na you sabi sha

  • @ Galax, I’m stand to be corrected, the two natural left-backs (Echiejile and Oshaniwa) that Keshi took to 2013 Afcon were not better than Taiwo. The inclusion of Taiwo would have provided the additional benefit of having a freekick specialist in the team. Despite losing Echiejile to injury at the wake of 2014 world cup, Keshi still went ahead to invite Ejike Uzoenyi who couldn’t add much value to the team at that level.

    May God in his mercies remove corruption from our Nigerian DNA.

    • Really, so because he is a free kick specialist, makes him an automatic addition to the team. i wonder how you make ur assessment. Bro, taye was not even playing week in week out for AC milan, please go and check, he was just warming the bench. Fine he might be a great player, we were not on the training ground to know exactly why he wasn’t chosen, and let us stop all this assumptions that it was because of bribery. Why were all this guys scared to call out the names of those involved in the bribery collection

      • Yusuf 4 years ago

        So what you’re saying in essence is that about 4 different people are lying against a dead man, because there’s a gain for doing that right??

        I’m ashamed of you Ade. Your persistent denial of these guys claims can be best exclaimed by you! You know what I mean. Peace bro

        • Yusuf 4 years ago

          ***be best explained….

          • Don’t need to reply to blind minded persons like you. Have set a scenario for you but you failed to answer me. You want me to believe that 4 people made accusations and not even one proof to back up there story, abeg go look for something tangible to do and stop misleading forumites with ur garbage

        • You are innocent until proven guilty, i am so disappointed in you. So if some people gather and accuse you of being a thief, so you expect the courts to send you to jail without evidence. Please let me know your answer to that

          • Yusuf 4 years ago

            You know the truth of this matter, you’re only pretending. I don’t have much things to speak with people like you.

          • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

            Hahahaha…Mr Innocent until proven guilty….just pray that 4 women will not wake up and accuse you of rape one day…wo wa da mo…! You go don dey jail tey tey before your lawyers even gather evidence finish.

            Dey dia dey form blind objectivity up and down.
            LMAO

          • Paul Kelvin 4 years ago

            Yusuf suspension from super eagles,siasia FIFA life ban.What other evidence did u need

      • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

        Oga he went on loan to QPR in January window and was a regular starter at QPR, played 15 matches. He went on another loan deal to dynamo Kiev and played 20 matches in the 2012/2013 season, he transferred to bursaspor in 2013/2014 season and player 27 matches there.

        Which of his quack substandard replacements even managed to sit on the bench for a top 5 league team in Europe. Which one of them are still playing in Europe till date as Taye is still doing.

        Till the next life even echiejile cannot undo the straps of Taye taiwo’s shoes….not to talk of the junks he was ommited from the national team for all in the name of discovering talents.

        Blatant defender of things that bring shame to our nation.

        • Ogbeni go and sit down, He ended up in Finnish league, is that one league in the first place, Now bouncing from one club to the other on loan makes you greater than a steady player. No problem sir.

          • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

            Where did your Benjamin Francis, Erhun Obanor and Oshaniwa that you claim are better than Taiye taiwo end up…??? Did they even manage to take their careers to the level of Finnish League…? At least taiye walked straight from Lobi stars to Marseille, from Marseille to Ac Milan, QPR, Dynamo Kiev, Bursaspor etc. Where did your junks play…??? Are they even still playing …?? Oshaniwa is back in Nigerian league, and he’s supposed to be the younger raw diamond discovered to replace Taiye taiwo o….LMAO.

            Really you have no shame.

      • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

        Taye was not playing week in week out…it was Gabriel Ruben, Nwofor, Uchebo, Babatunde that was playing week in week out ahead of Ezekiel Imoh, Brown Ideye, Obafemi Martins, Abiola Dauda, John Ogu and the rest abi…?

        I pray somebody cheats you out of what is important to your destiny soon….let us see whether you will be looking for hard evidence up and down….LMAO

      • Being a free kick specialist is a unique skill and any coach will like at least one specialist on his team.
        Also why was David Beckham so reverred during his playing days?.He is very good at taking free kicks which often results in goals especially around the box 18.Oga Ade,you no sabi ball.

  • Oakfield 4 years ago

    Amokachi, obasi, sariki,ideye, take et al, all saying the same thing. Take it or leave it, Nigerian coaches are incredibly and fantastically corrupt beings! Salisu was caught red handed with his hand in the pot (Mr ex cricket international looked the other way) and then siasia, crying foul like a crocodile. All these people are corrupt to the teeth! Now, u can see why Fifa hammered siasia and some of us bcs of sentiments ( the same sentiments that hve kept us in the dungeon of hopelessness as a country) are finding it hard to accept the truth but u can see it now in broad day light! E Dy play e Dy show!!! The very day we eschew sentiments and endemic corruption, that is the very day Nigeria would be automatically transformed into a paradise. Nigeria is hugely blessed with potential in all ramifications but our problem is sentiments, tribalism, jealousy and wickedness. All the aforementioned are interwoven in the same package. Now, mistakenly getting it right with the super eagles, the same set of corrupt idiots are not happy bcs of their own selfish gains and want to take us back to Egypt but that will never happen bcs karma is already set to take vengeance and he will spare no one including local champions that are having high bp bcs of a fellow man’s progress and giant strides. Super eagles is a typical example of what we stand to gain if we at least try to do things the right way.

    • Kenny 4 years ago

      Sorry bro, I don’t know you but someone like you should never smell any political post in this nation, am sorry to say. Haba not one, not two , not even three gave a testament and you are still denying the facts. The only thing am seeing here is you probably are part of this whole thing, and possibly you are a known face just covering up with the name. Go and get born again bro.

  • It’s really funny reading some comments on this platform, So Amocachi statement now traslates that coach keshi was taking bribe. Was it only Keshi that made the selection. WHere was the NFF technical team that reviewed the selection. Has an assistant coach what is wrong in him objecting to the selection. Except he wasn’t offered bribe. Why are we waiting 6 years to hear all this. It’s only in Nigeria you can accuse the dead of a crime.

    • Yusuf 4 years ago

      So because they revealed the secret after 6 years means they are telling lies?
      You’re saying all the bribes went behind Keshi, as in he doesn’t have hands in it?
      That Amokachi was involved in the bribe and now testifying to bribe collection means he’s lying?
      ADE!!!!

      • Bros like i asked you, if after 6 years some people came out and called you a scammer without any evidence to back it up, but with 5 people testifying it is true, so u want your people to accept that they are speaking the truth. and you should be sent to jail because they believe the statement of the accusers. bros abeg wake up if you sleeping. I don’t have niger way of thinking like your so called Dr Drey

    • Sammy 4 years ago

      Guy, what are you talking about? How is it relevant that they came out after six (6) years? I don’t get your point. Does it matter when a criminal/abuse of public trust accusation of this nature is made? Speaking in strictly legal terms, six (6) years is not outside the statute of limitations for prosecution of bribery.

      By the way, no one is prosecuting a dead man. People are speaking up about their personal experiences so the country can draw the right lessons. The conspiracy of silence when we see bad things happening is one of the reasons why the country’s problems fester.

      Keshi’s behaviour did not start with ascent to the position of head coach. Even as a player he was involved in the business of player agency. In fact the history of Ghanaian players in Europe will be incomplete without any mention of Keshi’s role in it. Please do some research, he has always been a business man, and it was not always ethical. Please don’t defend the indefensible.

      Just to be clear that he is not the only business man in this kind of position. Oliseh had several players invited to the national team who were clients of his brother the football agent; players who did not earn another cap after he left. One may also look at the relationship between Manchester City and Girona FC Spain, and begin to wonder about the dealings with Pere Guadiola (part owner of Girona) and Pep his brother and Man City Manager. There are also many others.

      The question is, are we willing to tolerate this kind of behaviour (pure conflict of interest at the very least) in our national team.

      • No wahala, please tell me which Ghanaian to contact that you know was sold by keshi. That way i can do my research further

        • Sammy 4 years ago

          Nii Lamptey, one of the first Ghanaians to play in Europe:

          “Lamptey played for the youth team Young Corners in Accra, but wanted to move abroad to play. However, the Ghanaian FA refused and confiscated his passport, wishing to build a team around him in Ghana. He therefore was smuggled into Nigeria by a taxi driver, where he met Nigerian captain Stephen Keshi, who had heard of his skills. Keshi persuaded Lamptey to play in Belgium with him, and took Lamptey with him, giving him a fake Nigerian passport that stated Lamptey was his son.[3]”

          • So that means Keshi took bribe from him, mind you other stories said he was in belgium already and came for a tournament in Ghana, which was when his passport was seized by the FA. But nothing stated that there was money involved between both partied

          • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

            Abeg leave Senior Advocate of Corruption let him keep defending corruption. Later he will claim to be objective.
            Go on YouTube and what Odartey lamptey’s documentary. He himself confessed that Keshi helped him get the fake passport he used in traveling to Belgium. Even Keshi himself did not deny it in another separate YouTube video. He said it plainly that he got a passport (most possibly a Nigerian passport) for lamptey and took him to Belgium as is son.

            Leave this pikin of yesterday that wants to claim to be wiser than the aged.

        • Mercy 4 years ago

          Nii odartey Lamptey is the name of the Ghanaian player.

  • Collins id 4 years ago

    I think this guys are right, local coaches are too greedy despite making alot of money from afcon 2013 keshi was so greedy. He also asked balogun for a bribe too, i got that news from a reliable source who happens to be a player too. I am suspecting siasia too. Of match fixing, if you guys can remember the preparation games ahead of the olympic 2016, we lost with high margin, somebody should pls help me with those score lines. It was so high, that i didnt expect nothing from that team until i was surprise the team went on to win bronze and even defeated both japan and denmark, same teamd that bit us messesly in preparation turnaments. The reason why i am suspecting those games (though i wish its not true bcos i realy like siasia as a coach) is becos those games where played in asia and asians are very good match fixers becos they make big money from bets which can be millions of dollers and can be tempting. There by manipulating games even in africa and europe. I just hope siasia proves me wrong

  • Sammy

    Do you know that Westerhof sold players? He sold Amokachi to Club Brugges. Influenced Finidi sale to Ajax . Thompson Oliha was in his books and several others. Do you know how Emenalo and Nwanu gatecrashed the world cup 1994 party?

    Rewind back a bit. Westerhof paid off Lim kee Chong of Mauritius to get us the world cup ticket in Algeria. He met the referee before the match and struck a deal. Westerhof told Keshi to “talk “ to Algerian Captain then Sherrif Ouojani who played In France. They settled and agreed on scoreless draw. But Nigeria scored first then they fought back not in a desperate bid to avoid total disgrace. That was how the game ended 1-1.

    Similarly, 90 % of our foreign coaches were doing the same thing. Berti vigots had Emeka Ezeala as his agent and guess what? Emeka was always sitting on the bench with him. Emeka was Austin Ejide’s agent and what happened in 2008 Afcon? Ejide became first choice goal keeper.  

    Glen Hoodle and Sven Eriksonn complained about been told to forego part of their padded   salary and they refused. Now do you think Lagabaeck got the job without playing ball? Do you think Troussier, Libreght, Milutinović, Bonfrere, Carlos Alberto Torres, etc were not presented with that kind of kickback deals and they accepted it??

    • chuks Haifa 4 years ago

      I still doubt that westerhof bribed lim Kee Chong. That 94 team was very good and the players on that team merited it. Chidi Nwanu was very good and deserved to be in that world cup. Even Emenalo was in good form. Keshi might have influenced the coach a bit on that team, but Nigeria went to that world cup with almost the best players they had at that time. We had very good players in each position then. When a player like Richard Owubokiri was not even considered, you would know the type of talents available then.

      • True,even Victor Ikpeba aka the prince of Monaco and also a striking partner with Jurgen Klinsmann was warming the bench despite being one of the top scorers in Europe that time.

    • Do you know that if the Algerian captain had gone public with your claim,they would have gone to the world cup and not Nigeria.What I am trying to say is that attempting to fix a match like that would have done Nigeria no good.
      Also we had a solid team at that time.Keshi had started to deep in form then .Chidi Nwanu merited being on that team.Michael Emenalo may not be as versatile as Ben Iroha(was on the bench because of injury) but he played well.
      That referee till today is one of the best referee to come out of Africa both in officiating and ethical conduct.This is the first time I am hearing such about that ref from Mauritius,unlike the coaches here that have been accused severally of bribery allegations.
      Oga,this your claim no hold water abeg.

  • B The B 4 years ago

    Allegation upon allegation, honestly we don’t need local coach by the time they appoint them every thing will go the other in Super Eagle

  • De Star 4 years ago

    @Ike, I cannot thank you enough, a great mind like you is a positive to the new Nigeria that we can look up to that can bring Nigeria back to the then giant of Africa.

    I read many mischievous comments and I was appalled as how some can be that wicked destroying the career , the lives of their countrymen in the name of trying to defend Rohr just to prove that they are not racist, black man with black mentality ( if by destroying my countrymen is only way I can prove that I am not racist , please I will choose to be racist , the western world played it to to the fullest , Bob Marley black man was killed for black course , Tyson career was destroy for being black , Jackson life was cut short because he wanted to relocate to Dubai, Diana had to be eliminated because she wanted to marry an African man for that matter , when you messed up with white coaches, FIFA the headquarters of corruption hammers you , would manipulate even ranking in support of their white coaches and carry out many shady deals .

    For any black to be well fairly treated in the western world, he must be a genius , Taye Taiwo was the most dependable players with Massile in France wining laurels with the ridiculous salary, the moment he asked for improved contract, he was dropped on the bench and then offloaded ; today hardly can you see any black goalkeeper that is given chance in Premiership, not even Enyama and it is the worst with the black coaches , except you are exceptional. But the black would help to destroy their fellow blacks !

    FIFA the headquarters of corruption is all out to destroy Siasia and his countrymen are wickedly wanted him destroyed for life on alleged and unproved allegation with an absurd offence to have  purported committed at the time he was not handling any national team ( just because the indicted man contacted him of helping him to facilitate a job , even a mad man that is jobless would not ignore call from such employment facilitator).

    That Siasia lost with wide margin on friendly match because he has fixed the match ( that is pure wickedness , Bonefere jo a white man lost scandalous 1-5 in Lagos in a friendly match in preparation for Atlanta 96 and yet won gold ). That Siasia won bronze medal speaks the great potential in him , that is the 3rd time he would prove himself at the big stage. If he were to be Rohr , he would have been bundled out in the first round ,going  by the circumstances of plot by the football federation to have Siasia failed by all means 

    If Amochchi has what is called shame in his dictionary , would he have waited  for the death of his colleague and 6 years after before saying this rubbish ? It is nothing but pure jealousy, he should direct his accuse fingers at the right direction in NFF the corrupt glass house .

    EMANUEL claimed NFF demanded $10k from him to make the team  , was it Keshi that demanded the bribe , if Nigerians coaches cannot handle S/E then white should also be the head of NFF.

    Erickson claimed NFF do have deal of paddling Coach salary on 50/50 sharing arrangement which was what the same reason , Rohr who failed in the two competitions was fraudulently rewarded with 95%  padded salary increment which doesn’t go to his pocket but his business partners NFF.

    Chidi Nwanu was the best defensive midfielder better than Keshi but a white man Westerhof did not allow him to come near eagles camp for some years until Rashid Yekini boycotted training and threatening not to go to WC except Nwanu is invited to the camp , the rest was history as Chidi effectively benched Keshi at the WC 

    ….., to be continue 

    • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

      Oga @Destar.
      Kudos for another ton of lies put up there. But between…1. Rohr get preferential treatment from NFF ahead of local coaches….2. Rohr gets paid 4x what local coaches get…and 3. Rohr shares half of his salary with the NFF….you have to choose which of these lies you want us to believe and stick to it. Please

      Because I don’t understand how being denied a whole 50% of your salary is a form of preferential treatment compared to local coaches who were getting paid their (30k-36k) salaries in full and their assistants getting their own salaries (of close to $20k) paid directly by the NFF whereas Rohr still has to share the remaining 50% of his $50k (which amounts to about $25k) with four other assistants.

      How all these amounts to preferential treatment and earning 4x what local coaches earned is becoming confusing o.

      So pls stop lieing from pillar to post like Nigerian Fire Service. Stay in one lane and pls tell us which one of these lies you what us to believe and stop confusing us.

      LMAO

  • De Star 4 years ago

    … Continuation , Westerhof made business with the hotel in Holland his home country and camped s/e in the hotel , no problem he is a white man 

    Westerhof was stoned with sachet water by LAGOS fans  for not fielding the young  electrifying Dimeji Lawal who they believed was the best player around then despite his young age; Dimeji came in , mesmerized Cameroon defence and eventually scored a television 2nd goal that sealed the hope of Cameron beating them for the first time . That was the last match , he was ever invited to the team on account of Lagos fans behaviour . When Westerhof was interview as to why Dimeji was not invited again , his response was, he cannot afford to have such player in his team because if he is not in form he would be forced to use him ( though Keshi may not be totally exonerated as he doesn’t like sharing fame with any player in the team , because after the match , rather than praising the whole team , Dimeji was mobbed by LAGOS fans with so many accolades as if he were the only one that played the match ) .

    What is the big deal with Keshi player management ? though would not support but that is not enough to give him his deserved credit , many white coaches do it too . Keshi was the one that facilitated movement of many of his colleagues to other Africans countries and Europe, so there is no big deal , and have helped many players even in other Africans countries to get contract and in turns get remunerated . 

    Corruption should be killed in the glass house with regularly paid salary that is not padded . You treat the root cause, rather than destroying your countrymen 

    • JimmyBall 4 years ago

      …the list of Nigerian players, very good ones who were unwilling to pay their way to get invitation is long and the very good attackers who suffered this exclusion included Mike Obiku of Fayenord and Richard Nwobuokiri of Boavista… these two were top players with Holland and Portugal… while Yekini was playing in the 2nd division of portuguese football… Richard Nwobuokiri was the Portuguese Premira divison top scorer… in the case of Mike Obiku, then he was the best Nigerian forward in Holland, a prolific scorer himself… these two players were on the same level with Rashidi Yekini… it was not until 2014 world cup in an interview just before the tournament started in Brazil that Richard Nwobuokiri the former bit-part Super Eagles, who has been living in the state of Bahia, Brazil, open up a little bit that Westerhof and Keshi did not like him and so he never got frequent callups… He said he has forgiven them… Chidi Nwanu was almost excluded from the team, only they could not do it because he was a starter for Anderletch in Champions league in central defence and ignoring him would have been too obvious… squad politics robbed us of a chance to see a lot of talented players who could have left Super Eagles fans with only fond memories till this day…

      • Ayphillydegreat 4 years ago

        Mike Obiku and Richard Owibokiri we’re not better than Efan Ekoku at the time yet he couldn’t displace any of Yekini, Amokachi or Amunike in the attack both at the AFCON and the WorldCup. Owubokiri had his chances during the qualifiers he couldn’t take them. Yekini was prolific as he helped Setubal to the Portuguese top division in 92/93. He was the top scorer in the 2nd division and repeated the same feet in the primera division in 93/94 season as the top scorer in the top division ahead of the WorldCup and he was also named African footballer of the year by CAF that time after helping Nigeria qualify for the WorldCup. It’s a no brainer that Yekini was ahead of every African striker anywhere in the world at the time. Chidi Nwanu was never a defensive midfielder all through his career LMAO!!! I know for sure that he was a staunch Central defender playing regularly for Anderlecht both in league and the champions league that year. He indeed formed a formidable partnership with the gentle giant Uche Okechukwu at the WorldCup. That team was indeed the best Nigeria had anywhere in the world up till today. Therefore, there’s no iota of truth that Westerhoff took bribe from any player. A coach who already got everything he needs from the government at the time. Rohr is currently building a team similar to that team that everyone still referred to till this day as the greatest SuperEagles of all time. Arguably Africa’s best ever collection of talents. Corruption or no corruption I’m pretty certain that this NFF will retain Rohr to finish what he has started and the future is very positive. 

        • JimmyBall 4 years ago

          …@Ayphyllydegreat.. Go and sit down, that’s your own opinion… Yekina was the top African striker but Mike Obiku and Richard Nwonuokir8 were on his level… how many goals did Efan Ekoku score for Nigeria… a man who draws over 10 offsides alone in one match because of his kick and follow English style…

          • Ayphillydegreat 4 years ago

            JimmyBall abeg park well. Those are your own opinions. How many goals did Mike Obiku and Richard Owubokiri scored for Nigeria when they had their chances?? Ekoku only played one game at the AFCON against Congo DR in the quarterfinal and was unable to play at the world cup. So in your own view a player playing in the Dutch league and the Portuguese league are better than a player playing regularly in the premier league at the time? At least Owubokiri had more opportunities than Ekoku at the time. Bros Yekinin was on a different level than everyone of them at the time both on the African continent and Europe. That’s the fact. Yekinin was the top scorer in both AFCON qualifiers and world cup qualifiers. Are you trying to tell me what I don’t know about the 94 squad. Bros that team was the best Nigeria ever had both first 11 and second 11 were top notch.

    • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

      There’s a HUGE difference between a coach having his preferred or favourite boys in a team and descending as low as demanding for bribes for players to be listed.

      It’s so shocking that the same people who claim to want to see the progress of Nigeria as a country and promote everything Nigerian can shamefully come in public and defend what is indefensible in sensible climes.

      Pls how many substandard players did Westerhof ever field in his days as coach…? How many unknown quantites or injured players or players who had not played 10 league matches all season did Westerhof name in his pretournament squads…? Westerhof has since left Nigeria over 2 decades now…all the players who passed through him have retired, we’ve heard allegations of favouritism, mafia etc of his time as coach….but never have we heard anything as shameful as “pay and play”…..Never. Which player in the then SE will you say bribed his way to any of our tournament squads…? Is it Amokachi or Finidi or Okechuckwu or Agbonavbare or Agu or Agboola or Omokaro or Elaho or Adepoju…..which one can you say..this one wasn’t good enough to be there. Westerhof gave us a SE that lasted 12 years….way beyond his tenure. Can you say same of Keshi’s team…? It’s just 7 years after but all his “raw diamonds” whom we spent over N1bn to camp and expose in friendlies are nowhere to be found. The likes of Gambo, Ali, Oshaniwa, Eguekwe are all back in the NPFL. The most successful of them couldn’t rise above perennial Relegation battlers in Turkish league (Rizespor). None of them smelt National team again after Keshi left….infact all the junk players he took to the Worldcup never made his team after the world cup…..does that ring any message on your head…???

      And you are here writing all sorts of stories that do not add up as if you are talking to kids who were born after Y2K.

      Richard Owubokiri played for the national for almost 10 years…I can only remember him scoring 1 goal, Yekini met him in the national team and within the same 10 years already scored over 30 goals and you are here rambling like a cockrel on heat….Dimeji Lawal scored against Cameroon how has that got to do with bribery allegations…? Did Dimeji tell you Westerhof asked him to pay before playing…?

      I can imagine the length of time it takes you to type these your fallacies yet zero impact factor. Oga find something better to do with your time rather than wasting it in this way biko….LMAO

    • Chuddyl 4 years ago

      To the best of my knowledge, Nigeria only played Cameroon in a competitive match in Lagos in the year 2000 Nations Cup Final, the match ended 2 – 2 final scoreline with goals from Okocha and Chukwu Ndukwe. Dimeji was not in that team. Before then, we played Cameroon in Ibadan (2 — 0) in 1989 under coach Paul Hamilton during the 1990 WC Qualifiers with goals from Stephen Keshi and Samson Siasia! What am I saying? We should discuss with facts not sentiments.

  • O'billy Pam-Pam 4 years ago

    Keshi has been a very bad influence in Nigerian football. He his a complete Nigerian inside out (a deal man to the core).Why he was so feared remains a mystery. The Nigeria vs Angola match’89, same match that Okwaraji died,is another example. I lived in an area in lagos with guys who were either ex-footballers, footballers that did’nt make it big or were school mates to most of those senior players then. I met guys like Mike Onyemachara and many that I can’t remember their names now. Majority of our players then were home based,camping for matches then usually was 2 or3 weeks while few of the foreign based players, like Keshi show up 2 or 3 days to the match. In that match Godwin Ekeh was suppose to play centre defence with may be Keshi,but when he arrived 2 days to the match he influence the introduction of his ex-team mate Sunday Eboigbe to pair him. Ekeh told us he was so mad and was abusing the coach in the bus after the match,for not playing him, but the coach was very quite and not responding at all, because he already knew that Okwaraji was dead, while them the players did’nt.

  • Keshi’s Mounting Corruption Scandal (part 1)

    A number of footballers have now come out lay allegations of wrongdoing against the Late Great Stephen Keshi which is starting to make his immense achievements as Super Eagles coach (between 2011 to 2015) fray around the edges.

    2010 Afcon winger Chinedu Obasi made it quite clear that he was asked for bribe to be included in Nigeria’s 2014 world cup squad whilst his colleague at the same tournament Taiye Taiwo claimed that he did not want to have anything to do with Keshi’s “dirty” reign.

    Someone close to 2016 Olympic ace Imoh Ezekiel allege that he paid some money to be included in the same world cup squad but his place was taken by underwhelming Michael Uchebo whom many fans believe had no place in this squad – it is claimed that Uchebo bribed his way into the team.

    Then you have Former youth international Emmanuel Sarki who now plays for Haiti national team revealing to Liberty Radio in Kaduna that he was asked to pay £10,000 for him to be invited to the national team during Keshi’s reign. To add insult to injury, one of the late coach’s assistant Daniel Amokachi has also be quoted as questioning the inclusion of certain players in the squad at that time.

    It is rather unfortunate that such a golden period in the history of Nigerian football can be badly tainted by corruption at such an industrial scale.

    But this has not come as any surprise to me. After all, it is no secret that corruption is the corona virus that has pervaded every aspect of public life in Nigeria since independence in 1960. In order to gain admission to universities, pass O’ level exams, be awarded contracts, manage public funds and what have you, corruption is widespread.

    to be continued….

  • I don’t know why I’m no surprised….
    It showed back then.
    How can someone tell me that uzoenyi was on the same per with Victor Moses and better than sone aluko? He even tried to benched Mikel for Gabriel Reuben, until Mikel and Moses scored brace each in a match.
    Upon Martins’form, Shola Ameobi was chosen ahead of him. There was a time he settled for Salami and Osaguona Ighodaro in the attack and players like Ike Uche, Victor Moses and co were dropped for the qualifiers.
    He made us believe that Egwekwe was the best back up defender and chigozie Agbim was better than Ikeme. What about Bright Dike, Uche nwofor, Micheal Babatunde he even wanted to extend invitation to One Elliott Omosuzi then when the player was trying to revive his career in England after playing for Fulham, what about an unknown player without club that he picked for a qualifier and even handed number 10 jersey to?…well., we thank God for bringing a coach with experience in African politics, he might have bribed his way in but he has conscience..that’s why players like Aribo, Aina, Indidi were not overlooked for one Rabiu Ali from Nigerian league.

  • _Keshi’s corruption scandal 11_

    I recall the Under 20 and Under 17 Nigerian squads to the respective world cup tournaments last year: the stories of broad daylight corruption that were emanating from those camps were as shameless as they were shocking.

    It is no surprise that each team crashed out in early thereby not fulfilling their potentials – that is if they had any.

  • _Keshi’s Corruption Scandal – 111_

    To me, it isn’t that corruption may have happened during the Big Boss’ era but it is the scale of what is being alleged that is quite disturbing. .

    Well, may his soul rest in peace. I will forever be grateful for the Afcon gold, Chan bronze and world cup second round achievements that his coaching methods, techniques and acumen brought about. As there are 2 sides to every story, unfortunately the man is no longer with us to lay his side of the story on the table.

    Coming to his defence against one of the allegations – regarding Olympic ace Imoh Ezekiel’s exclusion after giving bribe – Ben Alaiya the NFF media officer at the time said: ‘He was invited to come and try his luck, and his luck failed him. And he was dropped. You can play well for your club and falter at national team level.’ End of quote.

    I never knew this coach personally but from what I read about him, the man must have been a tough character to have been nicknamed “the big boss”. If he were alive, he would surely have responded in the most robust of manners to emphatically refute these allegations, set the records straight and clear his name.

    Whether he would be believed (or not) is quite another matter but my goodness Steven Keshi would have come out fighting like a wild lion!

    Whatever the case may be, this should be a watershed moment in our football. The authorities should learn whatever lessons that can be learnt – not just from allegations against the Late Big Boss– but from all the ludicrous and shameful unruly practices that clearly transpire across our national teams to which the perpetrators clearly show little compunction in undertaking.

  • All said and done, the glass house should earnestly put the house in order while Nigerian Coaches must rise up to occasion by rebranding coaching skills and also develop zero tolerance for bribe. We should forgo precedence to imbibe dignity, integrity, transparency , commitment and competency in our football administration both on the pitch and off field. God bless Nigeria 

  • _Corruption or Sour Grapes? Part 1_

    Increasingly, the utterances of some Super Eagles players and their representatives who have covertly or overtly accused the late Stephen Keshi of corruption are starting to sound like moaning of frustrated and disappointed players who cannot seem to overcome the disappointment of being dropped from the Super Eagles squads during one of the most successful periods in Nigeria’s football history.

    In this month of May, players including Chinedu Obasi, Taye Taiwo, Imoh Ezekiel and Emmanuel Sarki have all been linked to allegations of wrongdoing against Keshi’s coaching administration (between 2011 and 2015). In fairness to them though, the rumours of widespread corruption have been like a dark cloud hanging over Keshi’s reign even before these wave of accusations.

    It has to be recalled that even the most self-assessed objective observer raised an eyebrow at Keshi’s world cup squad of 2014 which included some surprising additions and shocking omissions. Rumours of bribery and corruption linked to that squad spread like wild fire hence these allegations have come as no surprise to many – including myself.

    However, I think Super Eagles defensive Aficionado Taribo West sums it up best when he said that bribery and corruption in the national team have existed even during his time (in the glorious decade of the 1990s). Nonetheless, he goes on to state that scale of the corruption nowadays is ginormous.

    From that statement, the only conclusion I can draw is that everyone is in the corruption: from coaches, the administrators, to agents and even the footballers themselves (who offer bribe or allegedly alter their age to feature in national teams), the scale, scope and size of corruption pervading our football cut across all participants – and not just one coach.

    So, I think it is rich for one player to allege corruption against one coach when their own hands might not be totally clean, more so, when their claim may be driven by personal grudge against a coach who believed that he could take the Super Eagles to greatness without their (pompous) services.

  • _Corruption or Sour Grapes? (Part 2)_

    Think of the case of Super Eagles flamboyant left back Taye Taiwo. If you draw a timeline based on what he (himself) has said to media between 2012 and 2020, his claims of leaving the Super Eagles based on Keshi’s alleged corrupt practices simply does not wash!

    In April 2014, Taiwo was quoted by Daily Post NG as saying: “I’ve been out of the set-up for over two years so I am rather pessimistic than optimistic this time around (of making the world cup squad). Without me playing a part, Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations and qualified for the World Cup, so realistically my chances of making it are very slim.”

    In December of the same year, Taiwo said Goal.com: “I’m still very much in active football. At my club I play regularly and my manager keeps wondering why I’ve been shut out of the Nigeria national team. I am a Nigerian and if given the opportunity to do so, I will definitely do that with open arms. Why not? I will surely come.” End of quote.

    It has to be recalled that during Taiwo’s exclusion, Elederson Echiejile won Nigeria Afcon gold while Juwon Oshaniwa navigated Nigeria to the second round of the World Cup!

    Now, in the article above he suggests that he wasn’t interested in playing for Nigeria during Keshi’s reign. Who do we believe? The Taye Taiwo of 2014, the Taye Taiwo of 2020 or the Taye Taiwo who claims to be 35 years old (despite many Nigerians suggesting he is much older)?

    Corruption is corruption regardless of who may be perpetrating it.

    At the time, Keshi offered an explanation to BBC on his rationale for inviting players to the national team.

    “There is no guarantee that playing in Europe is enough to get into the Nigeria squad. Everyone must fight for the right to be selected,” Keshi told BBC Sport in 2012.

    “I don’t care where you play, if you fit into my plans and you are committed, then you will get a chance to prove yourself.

    Competition is important (to me), then add discipline, commitment and dedication, hopefully that will restore respect and support from the fans.” Concluded the coach whose approach brought immense success to the national team.

    The end afterall would have to justify the means!

    • It’s getting pretty interesting as some ex-internationals are coming to say they never witnessed corrupt practices in the Super Eagles.

      • O' billy Pam-Pam 4 years ago

        My brother, what do you expect to hear from them? People like the goalkeeper trainer then trying to cover up their mess. They were all involved,Keshi was’nt acting alone, without them benefitting, aahh a beg leave them alone. Infact to say Nigerians are cowards is an understatement,if you check the open fraud and abnormalities taking place in that country and nobody, big or small is saying or doing anything, I mean it’s baffling.
        Corruption has eaten deep into every sphere of Nigerian society, that even the nuclear family unit is not speared. They will even think you’re not normal if you’re not involved in their practice. The last U-17 and U-20 was it not the big shots in the NFF that were forcing their own players on the coaches? Do you think they care about football development, or the country… That na story.

    • You have said it all. Playing in Europe doesn’t guarantee you a place in the squad

  • O'billy Pam-Pam 4 years ago

    My dear Galax, there is this morbid fear of Keshi when he was alive. This is just a tip of the iceberg. If you know any player who is his contemporary, just TAKE STYLE ASK AM. If he’s ready to talk YOU GO BOW. Keshi was the reason, for a long time, why Chidi Nwanu did’nt play for the National team, especially if you play same position like him.

  • Ayodele 4 years ago

    Either Truth or False you don’t hit on a man when they are not here to defend themselves, what type of man are you bro? If you are going to talk about this at all then why waited for 5-6 years? And you stopped playing football after moving to A.c. Milan are they corrupt over there as well? get your grip bro.

  • Solomon 4 years ago

    You spoke we listened. You can now edit your comments.

  • Chuks 4 years ago

    Sylvanus Okpala’s Account on Why Keshi stopped inviting Taiwo, other interesting Revelations

    Let Stephen Keshi Rest In Peace

    opera.comMay 15, 2020 2:52 PM
    There have been many unverified allegations of Coaches asking players to pay if they wished to be in the National or World Cup teams. There were also allegations of board members imposing players on the coaching crew. Coaches have also been accused of inviting players who were of no value to the National team just to appease an agent or just to showcase the player to international scouts. These are part of an unverified but syndicated game playing allegedly playing out at the National teams level and even at the U-17 cadre.

    In July 2018, a video footage of the then Super Eagles Coach Salisu Yusuf, allegedly collecting a cash gift of $1000 from investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who posed as a representative of Tiger Eye Agency to influence the selection of two Nigerian players Osas Okoro and Rabiu Ali was published.

    Yusuf, according to the undercover, had collected the money as bribe to get the players selected for the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations.

    He was tried and found guilty by the Nigeria Football Federation’s Committee on Ethics and Fair Play after pictorial evidence was presented and banned for one year with a fine of $5,000.

    Four years earlier, the Super Eagle technical crew of home grown coaches had qualified Nigeria for the 2014 World Cup In Brazil.

    The formidable crew of Stephen Okechukwu Keshi popularly known as the ‘Big Boss’ led Daniel Amokachi also known as ‘The Bull’, Sylvanus Okpala aka ‘Quick Silver’ in his hay days and goalkeeper trainer Ike Shorunmu.

    The Big Boss is late but a former Super Eagles player will not let the Big Boss rest in peace. Four years after the most successful Nigerian coach passed on, Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi alleged that he was asked for money before putting him in the 2014 Brazil World Cup bound team.

    Though Obasi didn’t mention names in the famous Instagram interview, Stephen Keshi the coach who won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and under whose leadership the allegation took place has been indirectly fingered.

    Sylvanus Okpala, a retired Nigerian football midfielder, ex International and former Super Eagles assistant trainer has quickly rebuffed Obasi’s damaging allegations and queried him for taking six years to speak out.

    “After the Africa Cup of Nations, I was asked to leave the National team so I wasn’t at the World Cup but Obasi wasn’t even part of our plan. Even when we went to the Nations Cup, he was not there and he never trained with us.

    “When we were there, we picked players based on merit . If you were not performing, we had no business with you and trust me, I don’t bend anyhow. So all we did was the right thing and I think Keshi performed well. If Obasi was truthful and confident that somebody demanded money, he should have said it when Keshi was alive. What stopped him from saying this since 2014? Was he dreaming of coming back to the National team? You have to check your age then you can damn the consequences and come out to say the truth. I’m not trying to defend anyone or say that it’s not happening, but I didn’t experience this in the squad that went to the Nations Cup and while I was there, there was no such thing.

    “Everything we did was based on merit. If you’re good, you’re good but if you weren’t good, sorry, we picked players based on merit. We did not look at faces”.

    Quick Silver is one of those dreaded Nigerian coaches because of his forthrightness. He calls a spade a spade without mincing words.

    “Obasi said he played in Europe and in the Champions league when he was dropped. What does that mean? That you’re playing in the Champions league doesn’t mean that a player who is not playing in the Champions league cannot be better than you. Football performance is not measured that way. The only difference is that your team is playing the Champions league and you’re fortunate to be in the team, but it doesn’t make you better than a player whose team is not playing in the Champions League. That is not the yardstick for measuring a good player. “These are some of the parameters we use that are wrong because football is not mathematics where two plus two gives you four.

    Obasi mentioned failure to bribe their way to the World Cup was why players like Brown Ideye and Taiye Taiwo didn’t make Keshi’s team to the 2014 edition but Okpala pulled his hair as he explained what transpired in the team at the time .

    “Brown Ideye helped the team a lot. He was instrumental to the team winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and made a lot of sacrifices. However, I wasn’t there during the World Cup but playing very well in the Nations Cup doesn’t mean that your form will be intact for the World Cup. You must continue to be in form to make the next competition.

    “In 1980 when we won the Nations Cup, Nigeria overwhelmed the Algerians here but the following year during the World Cup qualifiers, they defeated us both at home and away. It was the same Algerian team with almost the same Nigerian team. So, in football, you have to maintain your form and not rely on your previous performance because other players are trying to break into the team and the coach wants to take the best to the competition.

    “However, if you ask me, I know that not all the 23 players will play in the World Cup. If you’re lucky without injury, you may play the World Cup with only 18 players. Based on his contributions during AFCON, maybe I would have asked Coach Keshi if we could add Ideye’s name for his contributions in the past. He was one player then that if you say you don’t have a player on the left, Brown will go and perform creditably well. But that didn’t mean he had to relax because he won the Nations Cup. You must be in form for a coach to pick you. So, I’m still waiting for those who want to say rubbish about Keshi.

    Ikechukwu Uche had 46 caps for Nigeria and scored 19 goals while playing for the Super Eagles. His issue with Keshi went viral when Emmanuel Emenike took over his place in the team unceremoniously back then.

    “I was not surprised that Ike Uche did not make it to the World Cup because I know what we went through with him during the 2013 AFCON. In our first game, we were playing 1-1 but were reduced to ten men and he was asked to come in. The coach told him what to do. When he got onto the pitch, he refused to do those things.

    “We had to change another player to fortify our defense . When that player was going in, Stephen Keshi told him what to tell Uche but he still refused to play to instruction. We were one man down and Uche was not falling back to defend. It was mass attack and mass defense but Uche refused to adhere to instructions and always challenged Keshi’s coaching ability. Moreover, he was not in form.

    “He was dropped from the team because he was disobedient. He kept on telling us that in his club, this was how they used to play and this was what our coach used to tell us. Then at a point in time, I called him and said Ike Uche, there is a way we want you to play here. This is the Nigerian National team and not your club, so this is how we want you to play. Don’t come and tell us about your club.

    He said well… it will help me but I asked him that if he played for Villarreal and Liverpool bought him, will he go to Liverpool and start telling them that this is how they play in Villarreal? You don’t tell the coach how to play you in Liverpool .

    “I also read about Taiye Taiwo’s outburst in the papers. After our experience with him, we never invited him again.

    “During our AFCON qualifier against Rwanda, Taiye didn’t play well in that game. Keshi complained after the match but the players went back to their rooms and started plotting how to remove Keshi. They never knew that Keshi’s room was the next to Taiye’s room.

    “Taiye was telling other players that Keshi was shouting on him on the pitch and that he will do to Keshi what he did to other coaches and ensure that Keshi was sacked.

    “Keshi was in his room listening to all their conversations. Now, most of them are now coming to talk about money. It wasn’t about money because I knew about these two issues involving Taiye and Uche. Which coach will like to invite a player who wants him sacked in his team? It’s not possible . I am telling you what happened as an insider.

    “One of the problems we had then in the National team was that some NFF officials had too much contact with the players. They called them on the phone and became too familiar with the players. You don’t do that with players.

    “I had an experience during one of the days in camp. I was in charge of training the players in 2012 before our qualifying match against Rwanda. I took a decision to do a little ball work instead of strenuous training as warm up since we will be playing a match and it will help them get used to the game early.

    “So, I introduced the ball work but some of the so-called big players went and complained to Keshi that he should see what I had introduced and that they didn’t want that. Keshi now called me and said that I should change my warm up format because the players didn’t want that. Do you know what is happening today? Almost all the teams in Europe and around the world have adopted what I did so many years ago. I never saw anyone doing it back then but that is what is in vogue now. They use ball work to warm up now. The players rejected it many years ago. Is it because I’m not a white man? Is it only the Europeans who can develop a tactics? Today, some of those players are coaches and they’re doing what Okpala initiated more than ten years ago.

    We must have to find players who want to play for the National team.

    Why Coaches run from Home based players

    The issue of including home based players in the national teams has been controversial for long . We have many good players. What is making the coaches to run away from the home based players is the work load. You need to train and coach them and you also need to teach them. This takes a lot of energy .

    “I know what we suffered to painstakingly get those home based players that we took to the Nations Cup and the 2014 World Cup. It was because we wanted to prove a point. It’s not because the players are not good. You can polish them to a standard but it takes a lot of hard work.

    “Remember it was even the home based players who helped us to qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. During the qualifiers, we used about five players from the domestic league to execute the matches because most of them coming from Europe were not fit. We went to the Nations Cup with about three or four of the home based who also played and won the cup!

    “Which one is now better? A coach who took home based players and about three or four of them played and won a Nations Cup or a coach who never took home based players and never won the Nations Cup? Even in that Nations Cup, there’s no team that you’d say that overwhelmed the Super Eagles.

    “We played the Zambians, we played Burkina Faso twice..in the group stage and in the final. We played Mali and the Ivorians that everybody was afraid of playing. When we mention Cote D’Ivoire, it’s not the Ivorians of the last two or four years. I’m talking about the Ivorians of then… Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba. These were top players and our team dealt with them. We used the home based to win convincingly. They were taken to the World Cup and about four of them played while the rest were in the reserve team. They went to the 2014 World Cup and qualified for the second round of the mundial only to be defeated by France 2-1 and you all knew what happened.

    “The game was very tight but France later won 2-1. How can you compare this performance with a coach who said home based players have nothing to offer? He went to the World Cup with all the professionals he talked about in Europe and he couldn’t get to the second round. These are the questions we need to ask”.

    During Okpala’s stint with the Super Eagles, he recalled how the late Stephen Keshi invited the players in the domestic league to the national camp and released them for their club matches at weekends.

    “When Keshi was the Super Eagles Coach, he gave me the responsibility of inviting home based players to the national camp. He gave me the assignment and I remember encouraging him to keep the players because we could make something out of them. I remember telling him that by the time we start coaching these domestic players, he may tell them to go after two weeks , but if we are patient and keep them beyond two weeks, he will see the best of them.

    “It did happen that after the first one week, Keshi said no… no… these people have to go. I reminded him of my earlier warning. I told him to be patient and we were able to get about six home based players who won the Nations Cup and went to the World Cup and did well.

    “Now, there are more talented players than before because I watch the league but the stress of bringing them to be at par in performance with those coming from Europe takes a lot of time and energy and that is what coaches are running away from.

    “Stephen Keshi went to the Nations Cup and won it. He went to the World Cup and qualified for the second round. He was not offered a contract rather they criticized him everyday in the media for nothing. Then, we had an assembly of good coaches. We had Stephen Keshi, Amokachi, Ike Shorunmu and myself and we knew the direction we were going.

    “Suddenly, they came and disintegrated and destroyed the team. They removed me and caused a lot of trouble in the team because we won the Nations Cup or for whatever reason. I don’t know. We had a very formidable coaching crew. We set a goal and said this is where we are going.

    “Westerhof is being regarded as the best coach that ever tinkered the Nigerian team but it took Westerhof 5 years and 6 months … let’s say six years to achieve the same thing that Stephen Keshi and his crew achieved in one year and six months! So who is better? Is it because we are Nigerians?

    “I needed to reply them because I was an insider and nobody can say I’ve taken money from him to do this or that, Okpala said.

  • Demangoes 4 years ago

    don’t mind them with all the rubbish they are saying, when it was going good for them in the national team did you see anyone of them saying all those negative stuff against Nigeria coaches. ask them the so called players what they have given back to the community that brought them to limelight.ungrateful set of players they want to be there for ever ni.

  • The late Keshi of blessed memory took a team of about 30% home based players to the Nation’s cup finals and won it, qualified for World cup and got to the 2nd round, yet some people here want to compare him to the low level coach we have now who has not won anything and got knocked out in the first round in Russia, a coach that have been wobbling and fumbling for about five years with our National team. You guys want to talk of corruption? how did Simi make the last World cup team from nowhere, Infact, GR himself got the job through the back door if not can somebody explain to Nigerians how a former coach of lowly Niger became our Technical Adviser. Oh Nigerian coaches are the only people that are corrupt. There is a massive corruption in football World wide, i do not condone it but lat the truth be said. Have we forgotten the corruption that rocked fifa and uefa, we all remember the powerful people who lost their jobs in both organisations

  • Vsaint 2 years ago

    Keshi drop u from the team after finding out you’re older than your twins brother.Stop hating bro!

  • Steve 2 years ago

    Taiwo is so shameless for making such statement about our great Keshi !!…I wish other coaches like Rohr will be dirty and win us AFCON for the fourth time , as well as take us to the second round in the world cup !!..Keshi is the best indigenous coach that have ever come out of Africa !!!

  • Steve SHARAP DERE !!!!!! DID YOU NOT KNOW KESHI IS A WELL KNOWN BRIBR TAKER????? ABEG LEAVE TAYE TAIWO ALONE HE WAS A GREAT SERVANT OF THE TEAM.

    YOU MUST BE A NFF OFFICIAL

Update cookies preferences