Keshi slams critics over home-based Eagles

Keshi

SUPER Eagles' Head Coach, Stephen Keshi believed whose crying wolf over the inclusion ofmany home-based players in the nationalteam are mischief makers.
Keshi has not hidden his desire to revamp theSuper Eagles after taking the reins of the nationalteam following their failure to qualify for the 2012African Cup of Nations Cup-with a team populatedmostly by legion of the country's players
abroad.
But there have been a gale of criticism from asection of the fans following the less than impressiveperformances in their three completivematches last month despite the fact that they beatNamibia 1-0; drew 1-1 with Malawi, and a 2-0 winagainst Rwanda.
" it is unfortunate if some people don't believein what we are doing presently with the Super Eagles,"said the former captain of the national team.
“I have no business in managing any player but I think we have to give the home-based players theopportunity too. They are Nigerians and if we all agree that something was wrong with our football in recent years, we must find solutions to such
problems."
He reiterated that every Nigerian player irrespective of where they are based would be drafted to help the course of the national team in as much as they have something to offer, adding that he has
been guided by equity and fair play in the choice of players.
" We would need all the best players as time goes on but honestly, I don't see anything wrong in what we are doing with the home-based players," Keshi enthused."We are given them the opportunity
to become better players which in turn would make them responsible Nigerians."
Keshi said those who are quick to condemn his usage of home based players should remember his antecedent when he managed the Hawks of Togo as well as the Eagles of Mali.
" When I was in Togo, I worked with the homebased players and we qualified for the 2006 WorldCup. I did the same when I was in Mali, so I don't have any personal agenda by using many homebased
players for the Super Eagles," he added.
The Super Eagles are currently on a recess but having been slated to face Arsenal Football Club on August 5 as the English Premiership side round off their pre-season activities.