Nigerian head to start from December

PTV – ABUJA, The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that Stephen Keshi or Samson Siasia will guide the country’s national soccer team from December.

Both former internationals have been short listed for interview by the federation’s technical committee on November 4, NFF official Deji Tinubu said on Thursday.

The new Nigerian manager will resume work on December 1, 2010.

Caretaker coach Austin Eguavoen will lead the team to a November 17 friendly in Iran and thereafter be named handler of the country’s Olympic team.

Eguavoen picked three uncapped players, namely Siena defender Michael Odibe, Lecce striker Edward Ofere and Valerenga midfielder Fengor Ogude for the friendly against Iran at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.

Keshi qualified Togo for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He assisted Shuaibu Amodu to qualify Nigeria to the 2002 World Cup. His last job was as coach of Mali at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

Siasia, who has enjoyed success with the country’s Under-20 and Olympic teams, was already in talks with the NFF over succeeding former Sweden coach Lars Lagerback as coach of the Super Eagles before the NFF decided to advertise for the position.