Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi
Friday Ekpo has warned the Nigeria Football Federation to keep off the selection of players for this summer’s World Cup, saying the Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi should be given full control over the country’s Brazil 2014 squad.
Keshi is allegedly under heavy pressure from the football house to name Villarreal hitman Ikechukwu Uche, versatile Schalke 04 player Chinedu Obasi, on-loan Norwich defender Joseph Yobo and Stoke City forward Osaze Odemwingie on his 23-man roster for the tournament. Some officials of the NFF are also said to be insistent on the likes of Dynamo Kyiv striker Brown Ideye, Varese attacker Nnamdi Oduamadi and Newcastle benchwarmer Shola Ameobi being dropped.
But sources say Keshi is insisting he should be given a free hand to pick his players for the championship.
And Senegal ’92 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medallist Ekpo expressed his disappointment over the controversy surrounding the World Cup list, saying “it’s distracting”.
The former Gabon-based midfielder, who backed his ex-Eagles’ teammate to name a strong squad for the football’s showpiece, said Keshi should be allowed to pick his players for the competition.
Although Ekpo maintains the NFF has the right to ask Keshi questions over his World Cup squad, he says “they should give him the benefit of the doubt if he says he doesn’t want certain players in his team”.
“They have given him (Keshi) a job do to do and he should be allowed to work,” the ex-Abiola Babes star told our correspondent on the telephone during the week.
