TheCable

Exasperated with the delay by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in agreeing a new contract with him, Stephen Keshi has ruled himself out of a return as Super Eagles coach.

Keshi’s contract ended on June 30 during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and talks with the federation over a new deal was in progress, but the Big Boss seems to have lost patience with the process.

“Talks over a new contract shouldn’t drag on. I can’t wait any more – the NFF is not serious,” he told BBC Sport.

“I have moved on. I can only wish the country well for the future. There’s a game in two weeks (Nations Cup qualifier against Congo) but no one is thinking about it and at the same time they expect you to win.

Keshi said he is aware of NFF’s internal battle for control of the office, which has forced FIFA to step in, but he cannot continue rejecting offers that came his way while negotiating with the federation.

“I understand the ongoing crisis facing the federation but the national team should not suffer from such at this crucial stage. Sadly, I also think attention is focused more on the upcoming NFF elections and the national team is simply not a priority.”

“I’ve had about seven countries approach me in the last two months but I kept them all away,” he added.

“I love my country and I am aware of the dream our fans had of me taking this team to the next level.

“While acknowledging the efforts of some people involved in the negotiation, I think others probably have other important things to do.”

Nigeria have already named a 23-man squad for their AFCON 2015 qualifiers against Congo on September 6 and South Africa four days later. They will also play Sudan in Group A with the top two advancing to January’s finals in Morocco.