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Keshi: No Mikel rift

Keshi: No Mikel rift

Posted: 2012-02-22 14:35

Super Eagles Head Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, has dispelled news making the rounds that he has any axe to grind with Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi, hence his non-inclusion in the team that will battle Rwanda next week Wednesday.

“This camp is a national team camp of love and not of hate, how can a father like me quarrel with a son like Mikel.

"The young man is full of talent and is a player who has several years left in him, but he was just coming back from an injury lay-off and we thought it wise to leave him to settle down before we call on him again to come and fight for his fatherland.”

Another issue that Keshi also took time off to clear was the alleged injury to returnee midfielder, Sani Kaita.

Keshi said Kaita is not injured and has been playing regularly for his club, urging those in doubt to call on his Russian club to find out details.

“We have taken time to select the best for the national team and we find Kaita to be one of them, those who say he’s injured should call his club to find out the truth, from our end we have a fully fit Kaita ready to represent his fatherland.”

Similarly, Keshi has said he would pick 11 domestic league players to join the 11 Europe-based players earlier announced last week for the trip to Kigali Rwanda for the Nations Cup qualifier.

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Dat Igbo boy: 2012-02-22 15:08

Our media must desist from making Mikel popular than he is, did they call Mikel to find out if there's any rift between him and Keshi or is this one of their numerous lazy men journalism dat is running amok in Nigeria, so i suppose other players not invited has issues with d Big Boss

Game147: 2012-02-22 15:29

Thanks for the clarification Coach.

Nonetheless, I've seen a few Chelsea games since Mikel's absence and they seem to be getting worse everyday.
Why can't they perform on Mikel's absence with their 'so-called' Super stars ?

If Jose Morinho returns to Chelsea then Mikel will sign another ten years contract ,lol.

Meanwhile, Keita is a good defensive midfielder, maybe not so good in making accurate passes but he's an excellent marker.
From a personal view point, I've not been following Keita's club activities/performance lately, so his current state is obscure to me.

Amata Plus: 2012-02-22 16:13

Fengor Ogude has not been injured for 3 months! - Agent

Keshi is already planning to further compound the woes of our football with his policy of lying about players' health in order to justify his quest to drop some players in order to invite some others based on sentiments!

I felt so pained when I read on allnigeriasoccer.com that Fengor is fit as a fiddle. Why has keshi chosen this pathway?

Our failures are a result of lying and injustices perpetrated by our administrators. Now, we have a coach who has joined the fray!

Keshi why? Why? God have mercy on our football! Overlook the lies and injustices of our administrators and now, our dear coach!

Amata Plus: 2012-02-22 16:14

Fengor Ogude has not been injured for 3 months! - Agent

Keshi is already planning to further compound the woes of our football with his policy of lying about players' health in order to justify his quest to drop some players in order to invite some others based on sentiments!

I felt so pained when I read on allnigeriasoccer.com that Fengor is fit as a fiddle. Why has keshi chosen this pathway?

Our failures are a result of lying and injustices perpetrated by our administrators. Now, we have a coach who has joined the fray!

Keshi why? Why? God have mercy on our football! Overlook the lies and injustices of our administrators and now, our dear coach!

lima: 2012-02-22 16:58

Playing in Chelsea dose not give you automatic shirt in Super Eagles and it is only a Stupid coach will invite a player like Mikel to represent Nigeria in any competition game. Keshi, no matter i don't support your job as a coach but your decision to exclude Mikel, shows that maybe you are watching game. The so-called Mikel is not committed to national team and will be happy for his exclusion. Did he play last night champions league with Napoli. Even Chelsea coach have started known that Mikel is unless. Fighting spirit is determination. Mikel presence in the camp will bring division among players.

red skin: 2012-02-22 17:07

The list is not bad, even if Mikel is fit, I will pick Etuhu, Ogbodo, Joel, Haruna and Kalu Uche before him.

Etuhu plays like him but with greater power, hustle and energy and marks the ball too.

Mikels game is one-dimensional and lacks eccentricty and depths of resolve.

eye_on_eagles: 2012-02-22 17:10

@Game147, i dey feel you bros you are 2 much. in fact personally i am starting to like keshi let him continue like this i bet Nigeria will go far

ola2014: 2012-02-22 19:08

I am at a loss why Mikel is still a topic of discussion. Talent or no talent you need heart, determination and commitment which Mikel does not have. Keshi for one talks too much and he is yet to coach the team to a win in A-team match. I hope he is a better coach than his talking seems to indicate. He will never win the PR war with the media and therfore should not feel obligated to respond to every rumor. If he insist on responding to every rumor then it appears he has too much time on his hand, time that should be well spent preparing his team

luise-hero: 2012-02-23 01:32

why keshi is bindery-self over mikel fit or no fit what can he offer ,,any coach who rely on mikel should await doom ,,profoundness and arrogance do,t play football ,,
my advice to keshi he should forget about mikel and start looking for a good no,10 like okocha ,,mikel bad boy ,mikel no commitment ,,mikel in the midfield no world-cup and Afcon he is a good player for himself not for Nigeria period and certainly not for my Chelsea too

Kerewa: 2012-02-23 01:49

Keshi na lie!!! which regularly has the guy been playing. 1) they have been on winter break since Dec 9 to resume March 4 so i wonder how fit and sharp the guy is. 2) He has only started 7 games in the season. I still dont see the justification for his invitation.
@Red skin, Etuhu is another mikel from another mother. His positional play is rubbish, just that he supports attack but defensively he is slow and reads the game poorly.
But we will watch them in rwanda. I pray the home lads seizes the opportunity. Some will finally go into compulsory retirement.

Kerewa: 2012-02-23 02:06

Stephen Keshi's reputation as Coach of the Super Eagles is coming under severe scrutiny from highly knowledgeable Nigerian fans.

Last week, the former Anderlecht libero named 11 foreign based professionals for the battle of Kigali. Omitted from that list was a very important player of the squad, the Vålerenga midfielder Fegor Ogude, who he claimed is currently injured and just coming back.

Atta Aneke, the Norwegian-Nigerian agent, who manages the former Warri Wolves skipper has confirmed to the microphones of allnigeriasoccer.com that Ogude is as fit as a fiddle.

''Fegor has not been injured for the last three months, and as fit as a fiddle. We were surprised when we heard that he apparently had an injury and that's why he was not called up for the Super Eagles African Cup of Nations qualifying game against Rwanda.

''It is not correct at all. He is currently in La Manga ( Spain) for a pre- season camp and played 2 out of 2 games there so far,'' Atta Aneke, who is one of the most reputable agents in Scandinavia, told allnigeriasoccer.com.

Adding things up, the recuperating Tavria midfielder Sani Kaita, who was patched up (we've been informed) for his club's 3-1 friendly win over Turkish club Antalyaspor on Tuesday, was handed a recall to the National Team in place of Fegor Ogude.

The Press Office of Tavria has released a statement on the official website FC Tavria confirming that the ex Kano Pillar is lacking match fitness, but will allow him travel to Nigeria for National Team doctors to assess his physical condition.

If we are to borrow the words from our colleagues at Nigeria's number one Sports Program on television, Sports Splash on Lagos Television (not an advertorial), Kaita's invitation to the National Team is a massive, massive failure by Stephen Keshi and his scouting team.

The question remains: Can Sani Kaita after more than two months out through injury survive the heat of Rwanda? This is a poser Stephen Keshi must answer!

Kerewa: 2012-02-23 02:14

From official website of TAVRIYA SYMEFEROL.
Four players "Tavria" received calls to their teams.
On midfielder Sergei Nazarenko national team coaching staff expects Ukraine in a friendly match with the Israelis (to be held February 29 in Petah Tikva).
The goalkeeper Damir Kahriman in the national team of Serbia will be ready for a fight with the control outbound Cypriots (29 February, Nicosia).
Midfielder Sani Keita after a long period was a challenge to the national team of Nigeria, which is February 29th at a party (Kigali) in a friendly game to match themselves with Rwanda.
Finally, defender Yuri Putrash due to the location of the youth national team of Ukraine. February 29 is our "junior" on the road to play test match against the Portuguese.
Note that Keita and Putrash is currently injured, but must arrive at the location of teams to assess the state of his health.
Press office of SC "Tavria"
In the photo - Sergiy Nazarenko
dont mind the english, i used google translate.....
Keshi! Keshi!! keshi!!! how many times did i call u. Bring Ogude now u still have time. Information is everywhere oh...

Nkata Offor 1 of Igbo land: 2012-02-23 03:06

keshi use our local team to flourish in ur coaching carrier, all this tier legs and bag of cements will not help u. NKATA OFFOR 1 OF IGBO LAND SPEAKS. HE no go hear, until it happened.

Anderlecht: 2012-02-23 03:43

I am the happiest man on earth to see that Mikel is not invited,this Guy is not committed to Nigeria and he is a very lazy Midfielder.I will always pray for him to be injured and not invited to Nigeria.I am a Chelsea fan,whenever Mikel plays,i always want Chelsea to loose.Hisssssssssssssss,nonsence and lazy player.

Anderlecht: 2012-02-23 03:47

Mikel cost Siasia his job,Mr Keshi if you rely on this guy,hmnnnnnnnnnn,you will loose your job o,he is a lazy Midfielder who can't mark,because he has money more than the other Midfielder,so na me go mark for una? na him policy be dat.
That is why Siasia lost his job against Guinea,we need people who can mark in Nigerian Midfield,not Mikel o.
Mr Keshi hear my word please.

Game147: 2012-02-23 13:11

Different strokes for different folks.
Never will I encourage indiscipline or lack of commitment.Mikel can be annoying at times but human beings are imperfect.

Personally, I feel four factors ensured Nigeria's loss of 2012 Afcon ticket :

(1) Keeping Ike Uche on the bench
(2) Starting with a jittery goalkeeper for an all-important match.
(3) Terrible misses by Osaze ( in particular) and Emenike.
(4) Substituting Joel Obi who had the energy to mark.

Meanwhile, Mikel is useless but he ensured SE qualification for 2010 with an impeccable display in the decisive game against Kenya and Yobo must also be very stupid to quickly say that 'Mikel would have made the difference at the World Cup'.

When Italy lost the 2000 Euro Championship to France under astonishing circumstance, the fans blamed the defeat solely on Del Piero's misses. No one even remembered Nesta's loss of concentration in the dying seconds which allowed Sylvan Wiltord snatch an equalizer for France ( and David Trezeget scored a spectacular winner eventually) .

In life, one needs to take chances when they present itself. We shouldn't expect Guinea not to take their chance after Osaze kicked a goal-bound opportunity backwards instead of forward.

Even if one wakes me up from sleep , I'll still maintain that Nigeria's problem is not corruption but tribal sentiments, all other negative things are embedded in it.

Meanwhile , it was Mikel's defensive midfield display against Valencia which earned Chelsea a 1-1 draw in Spain, now what happened at Napoli in his absence ???????????.

I don't comot jare, good-luck to everyone.

luise-hero: 2012-02-23 14:48

@Anderlecht: thanks you understand better mikel is lazy player i for one will love keshi to forget about that arrogant boy
@Game147 sorry bro ,,i disagree with you on mikel reason for world-cup ticket-2010 i will definitely say is martins and osaze effort not mikel that good for nothing material

Game147: 2012-02-23 16:25

@Luis-Hero, One man's 'fura di nunu' is another man's poison . Disagreement is allowed.

theeagle: 2012-02-23 21:56

Coach Keshi has spoken well. Clarified the air about John Mikel Obi. The road to South Africa and Brazil is a long road with various challenges. Every player that is of quality will have their chance; but they cannot all be invited at the same time. I am happy that guys here are very knowledgeable about football. However, Coach Keshi is on the right part. He has chosen the best 11 players from the domestic league and the best of foreign based. His decision regarding invited players, selection and the system to play will not be acceptable by everyone but lets be patient. I believe this time around the best will eventually make the team. It is a must now that we have to qualify for South Africa and Brazil. It is however important that we fans should take it has a challenge and mandate to continue to mention any player that is of quality playing anywhere in any league that can fit into the Super Eagles.
We have the potential to be great again.

Basil: 2012-02-25 12:40

Mikel is not good period and i pray for rift with Keshi, simply i personally don't want him in our national team. The Eagles has performed excellently in his absence and i hope we keep him out. Mikel is not good and he doesn't play with his heart for Nigeria, we need hungry/ patriotic Nigerians, we need younger Kanu's heart, we need the Ikes, Musas etc.