The Technical and Development Committee of the Nigeria Football Association on Tuesday mourned the departure of former Super Eagles’ Captain and Coach, Stephen Keshi, and four-time Super Eagles Coach, Shuaibu Amodu.
A one-minute silence was observed before the Committee started its meeting at the Glass House, which was preceded by a condolence visit to the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick in his office.
With Pinnick was the General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi.
During the visit, the Chairman of the Technical and Development Committee, Barrister Chris Green, said: “The two gentlemen we lost toiled hard to ensure that Nigeria football attained global reckoning. We are most pained because they worked directly with the Technical Committee and the Technical department.
“Amodu’s zeal, dexterity and hard work to re-engineer Nigeria football was never in doubt. Keshi lifted Nigeria football very high both as a player and as a coach.
“However, we take solace in our belief that the two men are now in God’s bosom.”
Green charged Pinnick and the NFF leadership to ensure that both men are immortalized, while avowing the absolute loyalty of the committee members to the present NFF administration “because we know you are a man of vision who has come with a mission”.
Responding, Pinnick once more lamented the exit of the two men, saying: “God knows best. We are pained by the deaths of Amodu and Keshi, but we cannot question God.”
He reiterated the administration’s commitment to making positive changes in Nigeria football, insisting that the changes being entrenched are designed to attract the confidence of the corporate world to come into the Nigeria game.
With Green were Yusuf Ahmed Fresh, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee; Confederation of African Football General Coordinator, Paul Bassey; 1980 Africa Cup of Nations Most Valuable Player, Christian Chukwu; Chairman of Club Owners, Isaac Danladi; 1997 African Player of the Year, Victor Ikpeba; former Super Eagles captains – Mutiu Adepoju and Garba Lawal; as well as Emmanuel Ikpeme (Secretary), Siji Lagunju and Abdulrafiu Yusuf (Assistant Secretaries).
