Former NFF president says he has no reason to apologise to late Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi
Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick has firmly rejected suggestions that his administration mistreated the late Stephen Keshi, insisting he has nothing to apologise for regarding the federation’s handling of one of Nigeria’s greatest football icons.
Speaking during an interview on Sunday Oliseh’s YouTube programme, Global Football Insights With Oliseh, Pinnick defended his board’s decisions during Keshi’s final years as Super Eagles coach, arguing that they were based on official reports rather than personal disagreements.
His remarks revisit one of the most debated chapters in Nigerian football history, the turbulent relationship between the NFF and the coach who guided Nigeria to continental glory in 2013.
“There’s no way I would have apologised” – Pinnick
During the interview, Pinnick was asked whether he would apologise to Keshi if given the opportunity today.
His response was emphatic. “There’s no way I would have apologised to Keshi, May God rest his soul. He was an icon,” Pinnick said.
Pinnick also insisted that their personal relationship remained cordial until the coach died in 2016.
“We had a very warm relationship until he passed, and when he passed, we were the first people that went.”
The former NFF president maintained that the federation acted appropriately throughout Keshi’s tenure.
According to him, decisions affecting the former coach were taken after considering official reports and recommendations rather than personal sentiment.
“We didn’t do anything wrong. We did what we did based on report,” Pinnick stated.
Despite the disagreements surrounding his time with the NFF, Stephen Keshi remains one of the most celebrated figures in African football.
The former defender captained Nigeria during his playing career before returning to lead the Super Eagles to victory at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, becoming one of only two people to win the AFCON as both a player and a coach.
He also guided the team to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Keshi passed away in 2016 at the age of 54.