Osaze wants to be Eagles captain — Keshi
Keshi has no footballing reasons not to invite me - Osaze
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The Super Eagles Team coach, Stephen Keshi received a blow from one of the Nigerian players, Odewingie Osaze, who accused the coach of been biased in his selection of players to be invited for the South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
While Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has also dropped a bombshell by saying Osaze Odemwingie had proposed himself as team captain, Osaze blasted the coach, past coaches and the Nigeria Football Federation.
Keshi told a stunned Nigeria Football Federation technical committee that the West Bromwich Albion striker put himself forward to be the Eagles skipper.
“He told them that he wants to be captain as he considers himself one of the most senior players in the current squad,” an official revealed.
“But how he has behaved in the national team over the years has really run counter to his ambition to be the leader of this team. You can only lead by example.”
The 31-year-old Osaze made his Eagles debut in 2002, but it was not until the 2004 Nations Cup that he established himself in the national team.
Goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide as well as defender and present skipper Joseph Yobo are older than Osaze in the Eagles.
However, he has rowed with national team bosses, from Austin Eguavoen to Lars Lagerback, and his clash with Samson Siasia was widely regarded as one of the problems that caused Nigeria to sensationally fail to qualify for the 2012 Nations Cup.
It is such poor attitude that has now denied him a fifth Nations Cup appearance.
In the meantime, the Eagles coach has said he wishes to run the rule over shock invitee Rabiu Ibrahim who has failed to establish himself at Celtic.
Ibrahim has only managed a handful of games in his second season at Celtic Park and has yet to be capped by Nigeria at full international.
“Keshi said he has watched Rabiu in a couple of cup games and will want to have a closer look at the midfielder in Faro, Portugal,” a top official told MTNFootball.com
The gifted Ibrahim has held out a lot of promise since he featured for the Golden Eaglets in 2007, but he has yet to establish himself in Europe ever since.
This will be his second Eagles call-up as he was also considered for the 2010 Nations Cup, but opted out as he had just undergone a groin operation.
Some top officials also took an exception to the continued invitation of Italy-based midfielder Obiora Nwankwo, saying he is sluggish and brings very little to the team.
However, Keshi stood by his decision, insisting that the Olympic team skipper is tactically disciplined.
Meanwhile, West Brom striker Osaze Odemwingie who has been left out of Nigeria’s team to the 2013 Africa Nations Cup has reacted angrily to his exclusion lashing out at Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi and the Nigeria Football Federation.
The Nigerian spent time on Sunday on social network Twitter giving his own story and attacking anyone perceived to have played a role in his being cut from the team.
Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins and Taye Taiwo were some of the significant names left out of the 32-man squad listed for the final camping in Faro, Portugal.
The Nigerian striker expressed disgust at having to learn of his non-inclusion through the media, insisting it showed lack of professionalism. He maintained that Keshi lied on the reasons given for his exclusion and fingered what he described as other reasons outside the game of football.
“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.
“On my non-inclusion to the Eagles list I am not surprised. Not surprised Keshi and NFF couldn’t tell me themselves. No personality!
“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? This is all a comedy and our poor fans are being fed with lies while they cutting the cake for themselves.”
“NFF spokesman told MTN he is arrogant? I am arrogant? Why did country’s president threaten to close down our federation for two years?”
“Nff member just called me. Of cos got insulted. I told him I sang national anthem for ten years to be treated like this.”
In one of the several tweets Osaze complained that the national team has not had “a real captain” for many years and suggesting that it had effect on the team.
He said, “This might sound disrespectful but Eagles had no good captain for many years. Everyone looking only after himself.”
Osaze did not limit his outbursts to Keshi as he also dared any other challenger.
He said, “To some who wanna put mouth here please act like men. When two men talk 3rd has nothing to do. So Ikpebas and the rest talk to me face2face.”
The Eagles striker who has had several clashes over the years with different national coaches went down the memory lane as he explained all that transpired between him and a former Eagles coach Samson Siasia and Lars Lagerback. He alleged that Siasia dropped him because he did not endorse him for the Eagles top job.
He wrote, “Cos after we got Olympic silver I didn’t say Siasia is ready for Eagles he waited till he gets the job to axe me?
“Me and Apam begged him to take (Sani) Kaita in the Olympic team. He told us he wants to play Efe Ambrose there who is a centre back? Good plan. 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!
“WBA needed me back for an important game and Siasia refused to let me miss a midweek friendly game?
“Why didn’t Lagerback continue with Super Eagles after World Cup? Chop and run was his plan and they knew it.”
LIST OF INVITED PLAYERS
Report compiled by Sodiq Oyeleke
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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