Sports
Odemwingie Hits Out After Eagles Snub
Osaze Odemwingie took to twitter this week to vent his frustration at being left out of Nigeria’s Nations Cup squad, and all but called time on his international career.
The West Brom forward was one of three high profile players excluded from Nigeria’s 32-man provisional squad, leaving Odemwingie incensed. “On my not inclusion to the Eagles list I am not surprised. Not surprised Keshi and NFF couldn’t tell me themselves. No personality!
“Keshi has no footballing reasons not to invite me but is not saying the truth. He is still in my plans he said haha coach u no dey my plans,” Osaze ripped.
The forward then went on to rehash his history of past grievances with the national team, starting with Amodu Shuaibu in 2008 “After AFCON in Ghana, Eagles fans were satisfied with our performance and Siasia after the tournament said I will take you to the Olympics.
“They sacked Berti Vogts after it though and just a month after that coach Amodu took over! In his first game in charge, I didn’t even warm up.
“I had to holla at him and Amokachi his assistant and next games I played and man of the match in half games of the team that year.
“The only reason me and Siasia fell out was over kits that were not enough cos they were on sale as the Olympics were on going. Shame!
“Nigerian fans voted me Nigerian player of the year during World Cup qualifiers & I was a spectator in the World Cup and I should be quiet?”
Coaches were not alone in Odemwingie’s line of fire. The NFF also got a healthy dose, with the player accusing the federation of not giving senior players respect with proper send-offs.
“We talk through press hahaha how come I am the only stubborn one but no ex Eagles player was sent off from the team with respect?”
And the Super Eagles captains were not left out, as Odemwingie claims the team lacked leadership for years. “This might sound disrespectful but Eagles had no good captain for many years. Everyone looking only after himself,” he tweeted.
In justifying his Sunday morning tirade, Odemwingie explained that he cared about the team. “The story is getting long and I don tire. I cared a lot about the team and wasn’t passive.
“The only reason I write this is for the fans to know my reasons and position on a few things and don’t think I don’t care or too proud.”
He rounded off by tweeting what appeared to be his farewell to the national team. “That’s it on this. Story ended. No more talks about national team again. I’ve said all I wanted. If will be tempted will go off twitter.”
It is not the first time the outspoken player will take to the micro blogging site to have a go at his national coach.
In 2011, he fired a broadside at then coach Samson Siasia, to begin a spat which took months to resolve.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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