AlHijjah 6, 1432, Nov 2, 2011, SPA -- Nigeria hired former defender Stephen Keshi as head coach of its national team Wednesday, five days after firing Samson Siasia following the failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations, AP reported. The Nigeria Football Federation appointed the 49-year-old Keshi, who was captain when Nigeria made its World Cup debut in 1994, to try and bring together a team demoralized following a string of scandals and disappointments in the past two years. His hiring comes after the federation fired Siasia on Friday. Siasia's team drew with Guinea in the final round of qualifiers to miss out on the tournament, leading the federation to demand an explanation for what it called "the embarrassment brought to the nation." -- SPA