The Malawian football national coach Tom Saintfiet is set to report the Super Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi to FIFA after he alleged the Nigerian coach called him “a white dude who should go back to Belgium”.

The two coaches have been arguing after Saintfiet asked FIFA to move the next month world cup qualifier from Calabar for safety concerns. He said “It is unacceptable that any person says these words – it is clear racism. It is 100% sure that my lawyers will lodge a complaint with FIFA”.

The Malawian football national coach Tom Saintfiet is set to report the Super Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi to FIFA after he alleged the Nigerian coach called him “a white dude who should go back to Belgium”.

The two coaches have been arguing after Saintfiet asked FIFA to move the next month world cup qualifier from Calabar for safety concerns. He said “It is unacceptable that any person says these words – it is clear racism. It is 100% sure that my lawyers will lodge a complaint with FIFA”.

The exchanges started earlier in the month when the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) wrote to FIFA requesting a new venue for the 7 September Group F qualifier away to the Super Eagles of Nigeria. It is a must win for any of the teams to qualifier to the play-offs as presently Nigeria leads by two points.

The Malawian coach who is from Belgium told local media that he was worried about the security situation because he claims “the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office says it is a no-travel area”. The Nigerian coach responded afterwards saying “this is where we play our games and other countries are fine with that”. The Nigerian Football Federation complied with FIFA’s request for a written guarantee that the game would go ahead safely.

Keshi subsequently stated on a UK-based TV show, Vox Africa’s Sports 360 by saying “I think the coach of Malawi is crazy. “If he wants to talk to FIFA, he should go back to Belgium. He is not an African person, he is a white dude, he should go back to Belgium”. The Nigerian coach added “I have never used any words like these to any coach. He has no right, who is he? All other countries play in Calabar. Calabar is one of the safest places in Nigeria… He is mad. I wish I could say it to his face.”

The Belgian who recently married a Zimbabwean said that he is “shocked” by his Nigerian counterpart and believes that Keshi’s words could lead to trouble at the qualifier

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Malawian coach Tom Saintfiet set to report Stephen Keshi to FIFA for ‘racism’