Nigeria have decided to extend coach Stephen Keshi’s contract with the national team, according to a recent statement from the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The former Mali coach has been working is the position since the 2014 FIFA World Cup, despite the fact that his contract officially ended following the tournament in Brazil.

Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) led to many calls for the tactician to leave his post at the helm of the Super Eagles, but now it seems that he will be continuing in his national team role.

“We deliberated on Keshi’s contract renewal and have made our recommendations to the NFF board,” the chairman of the NFF technical committee, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, told the media.

Reports from the country suggest that the NFF want Keshi to continue, but they want to be heavily involved in his plans going forward by making sure that he takes technical committee indications very seriously, as well as by replacing his former coaching staff with people of their own choosing.

The former 2013 AFCON winning coach has been rumoured to be a target for a few national teams over the last few years, including the likes of South Africa, but the 52-year-old remained steadfast in his efforts to continue with the Super Eagles.

Nigeria need to nail down the coaching situation soon, as there are crucial qualifiers beginning later this year in June and October for the 2017 AFCON and 2018 World Cup respectively.