Fenerbahce star
Emmanuel Emenike has said that  he is prepared to stay out of the Super Eagles if coach Stephen Keshi believed he is the problem of the team.
Keshi has been quoted as saying he was unhappy with the AFCON 2013 top scorer, who he sensationally benched in last month’s AFCON qualifier against Congo in Calabar.
However, Emenike has quickly reacted to the comments of the coach, saying he has utmost respect for Keshi and will always do, but he has never been a problem to the Eagles and will never be.
“I have always treated Keshi like a father, and he has always lived in my heart to be a good father. Before now, we have been enjoying a smooth relationship and I see no reason why he should be holding grudges against me,” the star striker told Tidesports source in a most revealing interview.
“Keshi is a good coach, a coach with high pedigree. I give him all the respect I can give my father whenever I come for a national assignment.
“Before the 2013 Nations Cup, I could remember he called me to have a chat and I was ready to give him my best.
“My performance at the competition was inspired by Keshi. He showed me love, he put me through and I always respected his decisions. I never thought that I am bigger than any coach.”
He told Tidesports source that he was therefore surprised to read a comment that Keshi and some players in the team are not happy with him.
“Everything changed after the Nations Cup, everything about him towards me changed and I decided to stay on my own,” he further revealed.
“But I am very surprised by what he said that he and some players in the Eagles are not happy with me. Over what?
“I don’t want Nigerians to see me as being proud or arrogant, but if the coach thought inviting me to his team will not bring result or peace to the team, he can let me be.
“I have maintained a solid relationship to avoid quarreling with him, but if my invitation to play for Nigeria does not stand for peace, I will like to stay focused with my club.”
He added: “I have always loved to give my best for Nigeria and I always make it known that I can always fight to score goals for my country and I will not like coach Keshi to let Nigerians see me as an undisciplined player who is not ready to give them my best again.
“My Super Eagles career is as important as my club career. Coming to play for Nigeria was the biggest decision I have ever made in my life. And I appreciate the way the fans have been striving hard to cheer me up whenever I push for goal.”
Emenike further said he would appreciate it if his unhappy team mates could go public with his “sins”.
“I have never seen the Super Eagles camp as my father’s house, it’s a temporary place for everybody, and why should we be making problems for ourselves? he asked.
“As a matter of fact, I have no grudges with anybody in the team. I see everybody as my friend, I tried not to distinguish myself from any other player, as far as we have come to serve our country, we are equal.
“If Keshi thought inviting me is a problem to his selection or the team, I will prefer to stay back and maintain my big respect for him.
“The bottom line is that I don’t have problems with Keshi and I don’t have problems with him putting me on the bench. I am not bothered if he chose not to play me in a match and the fact remains that he made me in the Eagles and I will always give him his deserved respect anytime.”
Emenike has not scored for Nigeria since October last year, and that has raised questions over his commitment to the national team, but he has insisted he has been firing blanks because the chances are not being created for him again.
“At the World Cup, I played every role, of course my role is to stay in front and score goals, but in a situation where chances were not coming, it will be difficult for any striker to score,” he explained to our source.
“I am not a magician, I just laugh at some people who talk about my commitment in terms of goals. The right issue has not been addressed. At the Nations Cup, I scored goals because the chances were created and I also fought to score goals. I will score goals when the ball comes out from the right channels.
“I am never bothered by the critics, they have forgotten that form is a temporary situation, but class is always there for life, so I am not bothered.
“My commitment is always like previously, but things need to get better.”