TheCable

Out-of-contract Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has apologised “for the pains I may have directly or indirectly caused Nigerians”.

The sober Big Boss also apologised to Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and other members of the board.

“I have used the last few weeks for a deep sober reflection and I have realised that I have made mistakes,” he told AfricanFootball.com.

“I want to sincerely apologise first to Nigerians. Even though, I did it when we failed to qualify for the AFCON. But no amount of apology is too much for Nigerians, and from the depth of my heart I am really sorry for the pains I may have directly or indirectly caused Nigerians.

“I ask for their forgiveness because I know that once Nigerians are behind you and support the team we will all succeed.”

The apologies are not unconnected with his protracted contract talks with the NFF and he was indeed sober as he personalised a popular idiom.

“I want to personally apologise to the NFF president Amaju Pinnick and the executive committee members. I personally like the manner in which they have handled things. I want to ask their forgiveness in any way I have erred. Like it is said, it is human to err and divine to forgive.

“Now that we have entered a new page, I want to say that the last few years as the Eagles coach was a learning curve for me. I have made mistakes and those mistakes have made me better and I learnt a lot from them.

“I want to also apologise and appeal to the media. They are my friends in the media and I need them to succeed. I ask the media to forgive me and put the past behind because I need them for the Eagles to succeed.”

Meanwhile, the eagerly anticipated signing of a contract between the NFF and Keshi earlier scheduled for Friday did not hold after all.

We gathered from a source close to the Glass House that the absence of Pinnick, who’s on official assignment outside the country, stalled the ceremony.