Blame the NFF, Keep Keshi

The Big Boss remains the right man for the Super Eagles job and the recent underperformance of the team can be traced back to the Glass House

Nigeria have had two disappointing results in the qualifiers for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. First, they lost 3-2 at home to the Republic of Congo and then played out a goalless draw with South Africa.
The results leave the Super Eagles in third place in their Afcon Qualification Group; five points behind leaders Congo. Nigeria are in grave danger of missing out of Africa's biggest showpiece in Morocco next year.
This poor run of form has drawn a lot of criticism onto the head of coach Stephen Keshi, who is believed by many to be on the downward slide since leading the Eagles to glory in South Africa in 2013. 
Keshi's men have won just once in 11 matches, which is no doubt unimpressive, but should the cause of this poor run be attributed to the manager alone?
I don't think so.
The 52-year-old's contract expired after the World Cup and he had no obligation towards the Super Eagles. He only agreed to take charge of the side's first two qualifiers following the intervention of the Sports minister Tammy Danagogo.
Most of the blame should go to the NFF because they are the real culprits of Nigeria’s underperformance, haven failed to give the necessary support to the manager. The Nollywood-style drama at the Glass House in recent weeks cannot be ignored.
Even before the World Cup, there was already a lot of tension between Keshi and the NFF over player selection and unpaid wages. Then there was the appearance-fees issue, which led to the players sitting out training before the Round-of-16 defeat against France.
The needless distractions undoubtedly led to the Super Eagles’ early elimination in Brazil, and it is very sad to see that the team are seemingly desperate to repeat the same mistakes yet again.
It would be naive to think that the uninspiring results from the last two qualifiers are independent of all the confusion that has plagued the Nigerian football body in recent weeks.
How can the team be expected to concentrate on the matches at hand when a Fifa ban is threatening them?
Instead of giving the team the necessary attention, administrators are busy fighting for positions in the football house. In the end, it is the team that suffers, as has been evidenced over the last few weeks.

Does Keshi deserve the criticism that's come his way?
Now with qualification for the Afcon appearing uncertain, calls for a fresh face to be appointed as new head coach of the Eagles have heightened. However, the question is; if not Keshi then who?
The reality is that the pool of Nigerian coaches with genuine top-level experience is painfully shallow. The nation is hardly blessed with talented indigenous managers and is reluctant to hire a foreign coach who could turn out disastrously a la Berti Vogts and, more recently, Lars Largerback.
In any case, bringing a foreigner in is never a guarantee for success. Fabio Capello is paid a reported £6.7m-per-year, which is more than 20 times Keshi's salary, but he still failed to prevent Russia's early elimination in the group stages of the World Cup.
What Nigeria needs at this time is a sound short-term and long term-plan that will secure Afcon qualification and bring success in the future.
Let's face it, Keshi is the best on offer, so why not allow him finish what he has already started?
He has not done a lot wrong during his tenure as Eagles boss, but after the recent poor displays, there is a strong clamour for change and he has to reassure the fans that he is still the man for the job.
Tactically, Keshi may have made some errors, such as persisting with unproductive players and failing to find a solution to our midfield dilemma. He has also failed to forge an identity for the team despite making significant changes in personnel.
If the truth be told, the latter has plagued Nigeria for several years and cannot be solely attributed to the current manager. However, the onus is now on him to fix it.
First, he must hit the ground running in October’s qualifiers, then he has to clear out the deadwood in the team and reinvigorate the squad with new young players who can help carve a positive identity for the Super Eagles.
The team need to be supported and given the opportunity to succeed.
Surely a final judgement should be passed on Keshi's tenure only after Morocco 2015 or if he fails to get the team to the tournament.