Keshi Unhappy Over Unpaid Salaries

[Folami David]

The first man to captain and coach the Nigeria national team to Africa Cup of Nations success, Stephen Keshi is not pleased that he is being owed salaries for the last seven months by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
.
On Sunday, supersport.com broke the news that the Nigeria trainer had not been paid for the past seven months with the president of the NFF, Alhaji Aminu Maigari disclosing that the situation is not intentional.
.
Maigari said the NFF is cash-strapped and struggling to meet the expenses of running Nigerian football.
.
Keshi has now spoken up about the situation describing it as "the lowest point of my career."
.
"The lowest point of my career is working and not being paid for seven to eight months, I have never had this kind of experience before," Keshi told journalists after a training session of the national team in Abuja on Wednesday.
.
The 51-year-old trainer, who had previously managed the national teams of Togo and Mali, said this was uncharted territory for him as he had never had to deal with a similar situation since he took up professional coaching.
.
"In Mali, they will never owe you; your salary will hit your account before the end of every month. It was the same thing in Togo.
.
"Owing me up to seven months makes me feel I am not being appreciated, it is like they think I am being favoured in what I am doing.
.
"I am not being favoured. Whatever I am doing here, I am doing it with everything I have and I need to be respected to be given my pay," he said.
.
NFF president, Maigari insists Keshi's salaries will be paid "as soon as things improve."