The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in a statement released on Thursday said the federation is ready to begin discussions with coach Stephen Keshi over a new contract.
Keshi’s first contract ended after the World Cup in Brazil and he has been linked with the vacant post in South Africa. It would be recalled that Keshi led the Super Eagles to round of 16 at the recently concluded World Cup in Brazil having previously guided them to a third Africa Cup of Nations triumph in South Africa in 2013.
“The executive committee mandated the technical sub-committee to open channels of communication with Mr. Stephen Keshi with a view to extending his contract, as the NFF is still interested in working with him,” said the statement after the committee’s meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
“The technical sub-committee is to report back to the executive committee within a week.”
NFF acting president Mike Umeh added: “We still want Keshi to handle the Eagles. But we cannot announce anything right now because we need to first discuss with him. To that end we have constituted a committee to open discussions with Keshi and get back to the executive committee in the next seven days.”
It is now expected he will be given a new deal with his immediate assignment being the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which begin in September.
The Super Eagles are drawn in a qualifying group that has South Africa, Sudan and either Congo or Rwanda with the top two teams advancing to the Nations Cup to be hosted by Morocco in January.
