Keshi expected in Ethiopia for contract talks

Former Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, is expected in Ethiopia this week to finalise discussions with the country’s FA on the vacant national team job, africanFootball.com reports.

A close source in the Ethiopian FA, who did not want to be identified, told africanFootball.com Sunday morning that Keshi is expected in Addis Ababa this week to continue talks on the possibility of taking over the national team.

“He is expected in Ethiopia late this week,” revealed the source.

Ironically, Keshi denied Ethiopians the chance of qualifying for their first-ever World Cup last year when the Super Eagles beat them both at home and away in a final playoff.

Last week, the Nigeria fired Keshi after the country’s laboured campaign to qualify for next year’s African Nations Cup in Morocco.

“We hope we can get him because he is a high profile coach who has won AFCON with Nigeria and also took them to the World Cup.”

Keshi, who has already coached Togo and Mali, is expected to salvage Ethiopia’s Nations Cup hopes as the team currently lies third in Group B with three points from four matches, three points behind second-placed Mali.

Algeria has already qualified for the tournament proper after compiling 12 points.

Ethiopia’s remaining matches are away in Algeria and then at home to bottom team Malawi next month.

The source further said Ethiopia officials are not comfortable with Portuguese coach Mariano Barreto who only managed a 3-2 away win over Mali in Wednesday’s 2015 AFCON qualifier, but has lost 99 per cent of the team matches including build-ups.