KESHI TO NIGERIANS: I’m not God

Nigerians dreaming about the likely defeat of Bosnia Herzegovina in Saturday’s 2014 Brazil World Cup game against the Super Eagles in Cuiaba should do so with plenty of caution.

Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi stunned his audience at the post-match conference in Curitiba on Monday night when he stated categorically that he couldn’t guarantee anyone his team’s ability to beat their Bosnian counterparts insisting that: ”I’m not God to tell you with all conviction that the Super Eagles will beat Bosnia on Saturday.”

”I won’t say that we would be favourites in the game against Bosnia. I don’t also like the tag of being favourites before matches. I just want to go there and win matches. 

Then to answer the question of how I have coped with criticisms of my team even after lifting the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in February 10, 2013, I want to say that I have always been criticized – win or lose. So, this draw wont’ change the trend. For Nigerians, we have to win all our matches. That is the mindset of Nigerians. And I have learnt how to live with it.

”I’m not God. I will do the needful and that includes getting back to the training sessions to correct the mistakes we have seen in the game. 

We will also drum it into the players’ ears the need to be calm during the games. My boys need to understand that every team prepares very well for Nigeria.

”No assurances to anyone. We will prepare better for Bosnia. even the boys now appreciates the need to exercise caution during matches. And that includes being calm, move the ball around the field to create the openings and of course movement of the players to free them from their markers.”

It remains to be seen if Keshi’s utterances are not part of his usual mind games to put his opponents off guard. One thing is clear – victory for either Nigeria or Bosnia will spell doom for the loser, especially if the losing team is Super Eagles (God forbid)