Stephen Keshi, the Super Eagles Coach, has vehemently denied giving Nigeria’s sports minister and the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, any ultimatum on signing a contract with him.

Some reports quoted him as giving the duo a deadline of 30 September to renew his contract or lose him to other countries was done to discredit him.

“I never said so, I don’t know where that comment is coming from. I never said anything like that; I never discussed with anybody and I am surprised to hear this,” keshi said today in an interview with NAN.

Stephen Keshi: I never gave anyone any deadline

“Somebody first told me this and you are the second person, but there is no such thing,’’ Keshi added.

He attributed the delay in the renewal of his contract could be attributed to the leadership crisis in the NFA and added that he was ready to wait for the incoming NFF board for the renewal of his contract with the team

“We are still talking because NFA doesn’t have a chairman yet; it should be contract between him and I and then we can take it from there.

“What I am doing now is for us to move ahead and help ease things for the next board that is coming on board,’’ Keshi said.

He urged stakeholders to join hands to move the country’s football forward, noting that the current leadership crisis in the NFA would not do the country any good.

The former Mali and Togo national team coach, said the suspension of Nigeria now from international matches by FIFA would automatically rule Nigeria out of AFCON 2015 qualifiers.