I deserve my salary, Keshi tells NFF

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi on Wednesday described the seven-month salary being owed him by the Nigeria Football Federation as "the lowest point" of his coaching career.

He urged the Nigeria Football Federation to pay him and his colleagues their salary arrears.

According theNews Agency of Nigeria,Keshi spoke in reaction to a statement credited to the NFF that he and his colleagues' allowances and bonuses are enough to sustain them.

NANreports that Keshi is being owed about N35m in salary arrears.

Keshi said the NFF had not done him any favour with the national team job.

"The lowest point of my career is working and not being paid for seven to eight months. I have never had this kind of experience before," the former Nigeria captain said.

The Tunisia'94 Africa Cup of Nations winner said he was never owed when he coached Mali and Togo.

He said, "In Mali, they will never owe you. Your salary will hit your account before the end of every month. It was the same thing in Togo.

"Owing me up to seven months makes me feel I am not being appreciated. It is like they (my employers) think I am being favoured in what I am doing.

"I am not being favoured. Whatever I am doing here, I am doing it with everything I have and I need to be respected to be given my pay.

"I don't like discussing about money issues and if there is any NFF member who said we can work for free, then I will want to speak with him face to face.

"If they say we can work for free and that they are not going to pay, so be it.

"I can't have my family abroad and I will be in debt because I have not been paid for seven months and somebody is saying we should not complain."

NANrecalls that the NFF President Aminu Maigari confirmed the debt owed Keshi and his colleagues.

He said the body could not help it as it was cash-strapped.

Maigari claimed that the situation had led to the slashing of the Eagles' win bonus from $10,000 to $5,000.