Keshi, Yekini deserve more ―Paul Okoku

Former Green Eagles midfielder, Paul Okoku, has described Nigerians and members of the Football Association as ingrates following the treatment meted out to Stephen Keshi and Rashidi Yekini before they passed away.

Okoku in an interview with Sportingtribune explained that Nigerians and Football Association members should have done more for both soccer legends while they were alive.

“The Nigerian Football Federation contributed immensely to Keshi’s problems before he died because they declined to help him when he needed them”

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“The soccer governing body failed to pay his (Keshi) salaries when they sacked him, one of the reasons that led to his depression” Okoku said.

The former National Bank,Abiola Babes and Leventis United player urged the Federal and state governments to honour Keshi and Yekini by naming streets and notable edifice or projects after them adding that this will encourage upcoming players to represent Nigeria without any Bias.

Recall that the Asaba stadium was named after Stephen Keshi while nothing is done for Yekini who represented the nation in five major tournaments, including two world cups where he scored the country’s first-ever goal. Yekini who scored 37 goals for Nigeria was also named the African footballer of the year in 1993.

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When asked to comment on match bonus row in the national teams at the international stage recently, Okoku said it is in the DNA of the Nigeria Football federation to owe its players adding that the 1983 Flying Eagles are stll being owed match bonuses and other incentives promised them.

The senate committee on sports, he noted, is currently looking into the case with a view to redeeming all the pledges after 36 years.