Keshi will qualify Eagles for World Cup – Okoku

Ex-international, Paul Okoku has said that Coach Stephen Keshi was going to qualify the Super Eagles for the World Cup in Brazil.

Okoku made this assertion following Eagles 1-0 victory over the Harambee Stars of Kenya in Nairobi on Wednesday, a result that sees Nigeria extending their lead on Group F to eight points, two more than their closest rivals, Malawi, with two matches to play in the penultimate round for the 2014 soccer showpiece.

Nigeria travels to Windhoek to play Namibia on June 12, where another on the road victory would see them guarantee their top place finish in the round before their final match at home against Malawi in September.

Reacting to the giant strides of the African champions, Okoku,  a 1984 Nations Cup silver medal winner, said that Keshi has overtime shown that he was the messiah that Nigerian football has been yearning for in a long time.

• Okoku

The Mexico 1983 Flying Eagles star, said that he was not surprised that Keshi has completely turned around the Eagles to a solid  and effective team capable of grinding out results in difficult terrains.

“I have known Keshi for a very long time. We both attended the same Primary School and he is like a brother to me and when I see the giant strides that he is achieving with the Super Eagles, I am not surprised because he has always been a go-getter, whose biggest strength is ability to manage men.

“Nigeria is lucky to have someone like Keshi as coach. He is surely going to qualify the Eagles for the World Cup. He is very close to achieving this target  and all he needs is our support. We all need to rally round him so that he can take our football to the next level”, Okoku added over the phone from USA.