My players are very ready and well prepared to go all the way to qualify for Brazil 2014.-----Keshi

Super Eagles’ Coach Stephen Keshi is one of the two coaches, along with Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary, to have won the Africa Cup as a player and coach. He spoke with Esther Egbe

 LET ME START WITH THIS, WHY YOU ARE RATED THE MOST SUCCESSFUL COACH IN NIGERIA?

 They did? I don’t know about that. I never knew they did. But if so, all glory be to God. I was just doing what I needed to do.

BUT YOU HAVE WON LOTS OF AWARDS, AND PEOPLE DON’T WIN AWARDS FOR WHAT THEY DON’T DESERVE?

 Sure, but I didn’t know I have been made the best coach in Nigeria. And if that is, then it is just God.

 WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING FOOTBALL PROFESSIONALLY?

Well I came from a family of footballers and all my older ones were players. But we were not allowed to continue because my father had this concept that football players were nonentities or dropouts. So I wasn’t given much opportunity, but I always went for training with my elder brothers

 SO YOU ARE SAYING YOU WERE INFLUENCED BY YOUR ELDER BROTHERS?

Yeah. That’s how I started loving the game, and later went into it fully.

 Did your brother s go into football professionally?

No,I was the only one, who stood my ground to stick with it. It’s ok by Nigerians but it was mostly street kind of football back in the days. People didn’t take football seriously.

WHAT ELSE INFLUENCED YOU INTO FOOTBALL APART YOU’RE YOUR FAMILY?

 It was just my brothers, but as time went on I started playing straight football in Felele Ball competition.  And I started having more interest. So I had some idols, and I tried to follow their footsteps, structured myself like them; and that was all.

WHO WERE YOUR MENTORS?

 Well, it’s funny because I see them on football magazines in newspapers. Like Zidane, Bobby,etc. When I grew up I began to study Christian Chukwu because I think he is one of the perfectionists in the field. If he was a foreigner he would be rated as the world’s best. It’s just because he is a Nigerian that’s why he is not so recognized. But he is a legend.

    WHEN YOU STARTED FOOTBALL BACK THEN DID YOU PLAN TO END AS     A COACH?

No, no. Far from it. I loved playing football and anything around football. I loved it but being a coach --- far from it. I never wanted to be a coach. But when I had? People were always telling me, “Oh, you are going to be a coach, and I think you are going to be a very good coach.” And I would say, “No, no. It’s too much trouble with all these players who don’t want to listen.” But after a while I was brought back to playing football to become a coach and that’s how I took off.

 YOU ARE NOTED AS THE MOST ENDURING, TOLERANT AND LONG- LASTING CAPTAIN, HERE AND EVEN ABROAD. HOW DID YOU KEEP UP?

 I don’t know. I just think it is God. I try to do what I am supposed to do, and nothing else.

YOU ATTENENDED SAINT FINBAR COLLEGE.

IT’S KNOWN THAT THE SCHOOL PRODUCES GREAT MEN WITH TALENTS. WHAT’S THE SECRET?

 Nothing special.  It’s just that the founder, the late Father Slachus was a lover of football and academics at the same time. So the school was just a very open school and we had great players that came out of that school. We have Siasia and Onukoku and more.

 IT IS SAID THAT YOU APPEARED 66 TIMES IN THE NIGERIAN FOOTBALL GAMES BACK IN THE DAYS?

 I’m not sure.  I think it’s more than that because I couldn’t have captained a country for 14yrs and only had 66 appearances. It should be an error somewhere.

     WHAT COUNTRIES DID YOU PLAY for?

I played in Ivory coast, Malaysia, Mali, Angola,Qatar, and I also played a team in the U.S.

 WHY WERE YOU CALLED THE BIG BOSS? 

That was invented by some of your colleagues back then. The journalist I don’t know.

Why did you take a bow at the time you were at your peak as a player?

A. it was time to leave the stage. I had to leave the space for much younger and agile people. And I needed the break because my body was tired and weak.

            You missed the world cup twice, Why?

 Was it twice? Well the first one was in Nigeria here, and when we qualified for the Nations Cup 2002, the NFA administration thought it wasn’t a good job taking the third place. They fired my boss Shuaibu Amodu so i walked away with him.

 WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE DAY WHEN YOU USED TO PLAY?

 I think it was when Nigeria won her first Cup of Nations outside Nigeria 1994, in Tunisia, and the same year we qualified for the World Cup first time ever.  I felt really high  

 HOW HAS IT BEEN COACHING ALL THESE YEARS?

A. It wasn’t easy but thank God I did my best. It takes a lot but God has been wonderful.

YOU BROUGHT ABOUT A CHANGE, HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

It was the same way I was picked. So I followed the same procedure, and many other times I send my assistant to do it for me because he knows what I want.

 HOW DO YOU HANDLE INDISCIPLINE AMONG THE PLAYERS?

  I’ve never experienced it. I thank God.  But how does one become undisciplined?  It’s very easy: it’s just when one decides to be disobedient and unruly. When you ask for permission and I grant it, fine. But if I don’t, and you go your own way, I will consider you undisciplined players.

HOW READY ARE YOU FOR THIS GAME?

My players are very ready and well prepared to go all the way to qualify for Brazil 2014.

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GO BEYOND 1994 WORLD CUP?

 I believe there is luck in everything we do.

 DO YOU HAVE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY TO CHOOSE YOUR PLAYERS?

Of course. There is no interference at all.

 No, Joseph Yobo is not here, it’s journalists that are making up stories.

 SO WHO IS THE CAPTAIN PRESENTLY?

 Enyama is the captain now, but Yobo is still in the team.

 WHAT ABOUT FEMI MARTINS?

 Femi is still a good player, but he is getting old now and is slowing down. He is no more sharp like before.

WHATS YOUR AIM FOR THIS TEAM AND HOW DO YOU WANT TO END YOUR CARRIER?

 I want to build the team, make it the best in African and the world. If I leave Super Eagles, then I will look for another club abroad, till I retire and go into business.