Sports
…Understanding Odemwingie’s Frustrations
A few days after I was named Super Eagles Media Officer, I messaged three players: Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama and Osaze Odemwingie.
My intention was to let them know I’d need their cooperation to build a bridge between the media and the squad.
In Osaze’s case, however, I added something extra. And in his joking reply, he promised me I would get my biggest headache from him. When the headache came, it turned out to be anything but a joke.
The first real crisis I had to manage involved none other than Mr Odemwingie himself.
I was sitting in a meeting at SuperSport when I got a message from a friend in Chicago asking if I’d seen what Osaze was tweeting about then coach Samson Siasia.
The moment I saw the fiery tweets, I rang him up and asked him to take them down. He dug his heels in, but after a few minutes of back and forth, he relented. By then, it was too late, the damage had been done.
And I spent the rest of my brief time in the post managing the Osaze/Siasia rift until it was finally settled in the latter’s final days as coach.
Osaze and I have come a long way. It’s been 10 years and counting. In that time, I have come to know the young man as a combustible fireball crackling underneath wooden floorboards.
Osaze Odemwingie does not do half measures. It is at once his greatest virtue, and his biggest frailty.
When he suits up in that green and white shirt, or any other for that matter, he leaves it all out on the pitch. When he calls someone out for not doing their job, he spares nothing. And when he is backed into a corner, he comes out swinging.
This latest, messy episode with Stephen Keshi is Osaze coming out guns blazing from inside of a corner, ten years in the making.
It is the culmination of years of frustration with the Nigeria set-up, and things he has been continually unhappy about. All catalogued in his initial tweets.
Being left out by Shuaibu Amodu for his first few games in charge despite a fine showing at the 2008 Nations Cup, only for him to speak out, get played and win multiple Man of the Match awards.
That was followed by getting into a tiff with Siaisa at the Olympic Games because he dared to complain about a shortage of kit; then left out again by Lars Lagerback at the World Cup after being named Nigerian Player of the Year for his performances.
Odemwingie’s current scrap with Keshi dates back to a qualifying game in Rwanda, when the forward was first to be hauled off in what was a generally bad team performance.
From what he told me, the manner of the substitution left him with a sense of déjà vu. And so he ignored attempts by the manager to make contact. On this occasion, I was involved, again, in brokering peace.
But with fences mended, both coach and NFF were left unconvinced about the player’s commitment to the cause when he failed to turn up for the friendly against Venezuela in Miami.
Osaze himself offered little to me but to say he opted out for ‘personal reasons’. In any case, both Chelsea’s John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses did the same too.
Odemwingie had hopes of making the Nations Cup squad. He was a striker in form, had mended fences with his coach, had spoken to his team captain and was in regular communication with the coach.
Three days before the squad was announced, player and coach had been on the phone discussing schedules.
With the Odemwingies expecting their first baby, Keshi was not sure about the player’s focus and was giving no guarantees.
Osaze was willing to make adjustments to his schedule. That, unfortunately, did not seem to be enough. And there were rumblings of ‘conditions’ attached to his return. Osaze denies it vehemently.
In the end, the decision was taken. He was cut. Ostensibly because there were doubts about his total commitment to the team.
Whether anyone likes it or not, the final decision on who makes a squad is up to the coach. Not the player, not the federation, not the fans, not the media. The coach. But, in making that decision, it is also in the coach’s unwritten job description to inform at the very least the senior members of his squad who have been axed.
It is a hard task to carry out under normal circumstances. It is even harder in situations like this. But that action defines the man manager. It is a sign of mutual respect.
This is where Odemwingie lost it. To find out in the media that he had not been considered for a 32-man squad was the final straw.
“For me, it was very disrespectful,” he told me. “I’m packing my bags and done with the national team. But I needed to tell them my mind.”
As much as I may fault Keshi for not making that call, I find it even harder to agree with Odemwingie’s route to self-immolation.
In his unbridled tirade, Odemwingie has swung at coaches past and present, his captain, the NFF, the media and even a section of the fans. Going off the reservation doesn’t even begin to describe it.
While we both agree that certain things needed to be said, his method, medium and timing has cost him more than just brownie points. He is reduced to looking like a petulant child throwing his toys out the pram because daddy said no.
The tragedy for me is that, just like Osaze’s fractious rift with Siasia, this could have been avoided.
And Osaze, for his full-blooded, decade-long service in the green white green, deserves better than to be remembered this way.
Unfortunately, I doubt this particular saga is anywhere close to running its course. Therein lies the bigger tragedy.
Udoh writes for kickoff-Nigeria.
Colin Udoh
West Ham boosted their Premier League survival aspirations with a vital win at Burnley, whose own hopes appear increasingly forlorn.
While the Hammers remain 18th in the table, they are now just three points from safety with second-bottom Burnley 11 adrift of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
Given Burnley have now failed to record a top-flight victory since 26th October, a sequence stretching back 16 games, and have managed just three all season, it would take a remarkable reversal of fortunes for Scott Parker’s side to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
Meanwhile, West Ham will take heart after this success, which always seemed likely once Crysencio Summerville clipped the ball over advancing home goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, to give them a 13th-minute lead.
It continued the Dutch winger’s rich vein of form as he registered his fifth goal in as many games in all competitions and ensured Nuno Espirito Santo’s team capitalised on their superiority.
Nigeria’s Falconets secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Senegal in their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier, but the result was overshadowed by a serious injury to star forward Janet Akekoromowei, Tidesports source reports.
The first half was goalless but intense, with Nigeria carving out the clearer chances. The Falconets’ best opportunity came in the 33rd minute when Shakirat Moshood surged in from the right flank, skipped past two Senegal defenders and fired narrowly wide.
A minute later, Moshood turned provider, slipping the ball to Akekoromowei inside the six-yard box, but the forward also failed to hit the target.
The defining moment of the match arrived in the 38th minute. Akekoromowei embarked on a solo run, dribbling through the same channel she had exploited moments earlier before releasing a pass to Moshood.
As play continued, Akekoromowei went down in visible pain. Moshood, bearing down on goal, crossed into the area but Senegal’s packed defence managed to clear.
It soon became apparent that Akekoromowei had suffered a dislocated ankle. Medics rushed onto the pitch, and she was stretchered off, prompting gasps and anxious scenes among players and supporters close to the touchline.
She was immediately placed in an ambulance and taken to the hospital, with Folajomi Olabiyi introduced as her replacement.
Nigeria went into the break at 0–0, their momentum disrupted and the mood visibly subdued following the injury to one of their most influential players. Despite the setback, the Falconets regrouped after the interval and went on to edge the tie, keeping their World Cup qualification hopes firmly alive.
The Falconets regrouped after the break and finally broke the deadlock six minutes after the restart. From a well-delivered corner kick, Kindness Ifeanyi rose highest to power a header beyond Adji Ndiaye, giving Nigeria the lead. The goalscorer nearly doubled the advantage in the 66th minute, but the Senegal goalkeeper stretched full length to push her effort away.
Nigeria maintained their pressure as Senegal struggled to cope with the high tempo. A dangerous free kick from the edge of the box sailed just over the crossbar, while Moshood was again denied from close range in the 73rd minute. Three minutes later, Adeshina struck the crossbar directly from a corner kick on the right as the Falconets pressed for a second goal.
Despite their dominance, Nigeria had to settle for the lone goal, which they successfully protected until the final whistle.
Akekoromowei’s injury was keenly felt by her teammates. Captain Joy Igbokwe admitted the incident shook the side but praised their resolve.
“Yes, we missed her because she is one of our key players, and when the injury occurred, we almost fell apart, but our coach encouraged us that we just had to continue no matter what,” Igbokwe said after the match.
“We miss her so much, and I am using this medium to wish her a speedy recovery.”
Head coach Moses Aduku said an update on the forward’s condition would follow once further assessments had been carried out.
“For Janet, there is no information yet because we just finished the game,” Aduku said. “When we get back to the hotel, I think we will get the information.”
Akekoromowei’s absence would be a major blow for the Falconets. The Bayelsa Queens forward is the reigning Nigeria Women Football League most valuable player and one of the brightest prospects in Nigerian women’s football.
She has attracted interest from several European clubs, including Barcelona, Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain, and has been central to Nigeria’s qualification campaign, having already scored in the earlier rounds against Rwanda.
At just 18, Akekoromowei has enjoyed a rapid rise, starring for Nasarawa Amazons last season before moving to Bayelsa Queens, and gaining experience at the previous U-20 World Cup in Colombia.
Nigeria will now await news on her recovery as they balance the satisfaction of victory with concern over the fitness of one of their most prized assets, as the two sides will meet again in Dakar on Saturday, with the aggregate winner advancing to the final round of the qualification series.
Preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games have entered full delivery phase, with venue works and operational readiness advancing as the Games year begins.
The update was presented to the 145th International Olympic Committee Session by Dakar 2026 Organising Committee President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye and General Coordinator Ibrahima Wade.
Coordination Commission Chair Humphrey Kayange highlighted the great progress and tangible momentum towards the Games while noting that priorities would be monitored and systematically addressed.
Venue renovations are designed to support long-term access for young athletes, while the Youth Olympic Village will subsequently be turned into student accommodation.
“We are now in Games year, with exactly 270 days to go until the Opening Ceremony,” Ndiaye told IOC members, stressing that preparations are underpinned by strengthened governance and close-monitoring framework established with the IOC and Games delivery partners.
Wade expressed confidence in meeting deadlines, saying the Olympic Village, track and field stadium, and swimming facility will be ready by March, with venuisation set for May.
“The excitement is there for the continent. I think it’s monumental that the Games are coming to Africa for the first time,” Kayange said.
He noted that government support increased significantly at the end of last year, with different ministries coming together to ensure work is monitored on a weekly basis towards completion.
Public engagement continues to build through milestone celebrations, including the One-Year-To-Go festivities and the fourth edition of the Dakar en Jeux festival.
The Dakar 2026 OMEGA countdown clock now provides a daily reminder in the heart of the capital.
Through the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy, nearly 200 of the 400 available places are currently filled, with participants from 25 African National Olympic Committees set to join the organising committee.
The Jambaar26 volunteer programme, launched in December, aims to mobilise 6,000 volunteers across Senegal.
“Beyond the sports venues and accommodation, the legacy of Dakar 2026 will be formidable, trained young human capital across Africa,” Kayange said.
The arrival of the Olympic flame in September will be marked by a nationwide tour across all 14 regions of Senegal and local celebrations across the continent.
Dakar 2026 will take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026, bringing together around 2,700 young athletes aged up to 17 across three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
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