World Cup: Why we didn’t release Super Eagles list as promised —NFF committee spokesman clears the air
Posted by News Express | 24 April 2014 | 3,910 times
A spokesman for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has cleared the air over the confusion that engulfed the non-release, on Tuesday, of the Super Eagles’ provisional list for the Brazil 2014 World Cup.
The list had been expected to be released after a meeting between Chief Coach Stephen Keshi and the NFF Technical Committee in Abuja but that was not to be the case. Committee member Paul Bassey had told anxious journalists after the meeting that the list would be released “after consultations,” thus sparking speculations that Keshi and the committee had divergent views on the list.
Bassey, however, cleared the air yesterday, revealing that Keshi had yet to submit any list and would do so next month and straight to world soccer governing body FIFA.
“Instead of the 35 players, Keshi will only release 30 players next week. This is because by May 10 Nigeria is expected to submit a provisional lit of 30 players to FIFA and we don’t want to be releasing a 35-man list to reduce to 30 later, so the names released will go straight to FIFA,” the veteran sports journalist said on LTV Sports Splash.
A source close to Keshi confirmed to News Express that the Big Boss had yet to make any list available to anybody.
“Keshi did not go to the meeting with any list,” the source said, adding: “He has consistently said that it is too early to release the list. Not even Brazil have released their list, so why should he be in a hurry to do so? He does not want any interference in his work and will not release the list until close to the FIFA deadline, which is May 13.”
The source said that the NFF Technical Committee had to find something to tell the media on Tuesday evening “because they created the mess by announcing to the world that Keshi was coming to the meeting with the list but they were stunned when they asked him for it and he told them that he did not come with any list. Since they created the mess, they had to look for a way to manage it by lying to journalists that they were still consulting on the list,” the source disclosed.
•Photo shows Super Eagles Coach Keshi.
Source: News Express
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