Nigeria’s Head Coach Stephen Keshi has dismissed claims made yesterday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that he is set to sign a new contract having concluded negotiations with the Federation.

The Super Eagles gaffer in a statement issued this morning by his brother/manager, Emmanuel Ado, categorically denied that any talks had been held by both parties. Ado in the statement made available to News Express by e-mail disclosed that he only received the draft agreement from NFF yesterday and that negotiations were expected to start today. He described parts of the draft agreement as unacceptable and vowed that Keshi would not be intimidated or blackmailed into signing an unfavourable contract.

Ado said in the statement headlined ‘No Contract Agreement Has Been Reached With Stephen Keshi’:

“On behalf of my brother/client Mr. Stephen Keshi I want to categorically state that no agreement has been reached between my client and the Nigeria Football Federation.

“Statements credited to Mr. Emeka Inyama that arrangements have been finalized for him to sign a new contract are misleading.

“We have the draft contract from the federation and we expect to enter into negotiations today 13th August, 2014. I want to state that contracts are not take it or leave it. It is not master servant - servant relationship.

“While Mr. Keshi appreciates the confidence reposed in him by the Federation to continue as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles I want to stress that he will not be intimidated or blackmailed into accepting the contract as proposed by the Federation.

“The Federation has always been aware of the September 6th qualifying match. This is no excuse to rush our client into signing a contract that he serious objections about certain parts.

“Statements portraying or capable of portraying our client as unreasonable must be avoided.

“We hope both sides will be able to reach common grounds on the issues that our client has reservations about.

“Once more nothing has been agreed.”

•Photo shows Coach Stephen Keshi.