Super Eagles Must Qualify For The World Cup - Stephen Keshi

[Folami David]

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has insisted that the reigning AFCON champions are on course to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil despite his side's slump in the latest FIFA ranking released last week.
.
Keshi, who is expected in Nigeria this week after a brief holiday in the US also yesterday vowed never to abandon the team.
.
The Super Eagles dropped one place from previous month's position following their 1-1 draw against Kenya last month but remains 4th in Africa and 31st in the global rankings.
.
But the former Togo and Mali boss believes the placement will not have any negative effect on the team's chances and confidence when they face the Harambee Stars who moved up four places as they are now ranked 122 in the world.
.
He told Complete Sports from his base in California at the weekend that his players will win their next two games to make it to the final stage of the qualifiers.
.
"As far as I am concerned, the FIFA rankings shouldn't be something that should cause panic. It's just a ranking that only indicates that we still need to continue working hard," said Keshi. "The reason why we are where we are is because of the 1-1 draw we played against Kenya in our last qualifying match. A victory for us would have improved our ranking. "
.
"The truth is we still have three matches to go in the qualifiers and victories in those games will surely improve our rankings. I 'm not disturbed, like I said, all we need to do is try and record victories in our other games and things will change."
.
"Probably, the ranking was based on our last result with Kenya but we are going to do better next time."
.
Meanwhile, Keshi has rubbished reports going round that he has resigned his appointment as the coach of the senior national team. In a statement issued yesterday evening, Emmanuel Ado, Special Assistant to the coach, dismissed media reports to that effect, saying it was the handiwork of some persons who 'enjoy and profit from crisis.'
.
"The intention of these 'merchants of lies' is to continue to cause disaffection between me and the Nigeria Football Federation," Keshi said, adding that such people are merely seeking continued relevance with intention to paint the federation and himself in bad light.
.
He assured President Goodluck Jonathan, the president of the NFF, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, the NFF officials and football-loving Nigerians that he is staying on his job.
.
Keshi described Maigari as the 'father of the team' who has been a partner in progress and expressed appreciation of that support. He also stressed that winning the Africa Cup of Nations is now history.
.
"The urgent task at hand is to qualify for the 2014 World Cup taking place in Brazil," concluded.

[Shola Sholaz]

They have to do that for the fans and supporters. Nigerians would love it