Disengaged Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi is expected in Ethiopia this week to finalise discussions over taking charge of the country’s team, AfricanFootball.com has reported.

A close source in the Ethiopian FA, who did not want to be identified, told AfricanFootball.com Sunday morning they expect Keshi 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 Ethiopia the chance to qualify 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 Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) decided not to renew Keshi’s contract after the country’s laboured campaign to qualify for next year’s AFCON.

“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,” the Ethiopian FA source said.

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

The source further said Ethiopia are not comfortable with Portuguese coach Mariano Barreto who only managed a 3-2 away win over Mali on Wednesday in an 2015 AFCON qualifier, but has lost 99% of their matches including build-ups.

Barreto was signed in April this year after long serving coach Sewnet Bishaw was axed in February after a dismal run at the 2014 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).

Meanwhile, the NFF has initiated moves to sound out former Dutch coach Ruud Gullit as the country’s new coach.

The NFF have made it clear Shuaibu Amodu, who leads a consortium of coaches to take over from Keshi, will only be in charge of the Super Eagles for two AFCON qualifiers against Congo and South Africa next month after which the country will hire a foreign coach.

According to AfricanFootball.com, “The Nigeria contacts in Europe are first to sound out Gullit whether he will be open to handle the Super Eagles and if he would be available.

“It will be only after this contact that other considerations like the duration of the contract and the personal terms of Gullit would be tabled.”

The 52-year-old Gullit last coached Russian club Terek Grozny in 2011. He has most recently worked as a TV pundit for SuperSport and BBC.

He has coached English Premier League clubs Chelsea and Newcastle United as well as Dutch side Feyenoord and Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS.

He led Chelsea to win the FA Cup in 1997 and is best remembered for his “Sexy Football”.

•Photo shows Coach Keshi.

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