Oliseh, Enyeama and the ungrateful Nigerian system by @Komptrolla
Strangely, somewhere undisclosed in the Nigerian constitution seems to have it in hidden letters that the nation is indebted to the class of 94 Eagles and we must pay by making them national team coaches till we run out of them, it came to his turn after Keshi's shameful Ivory Coast story hence the emergence of the former Dortmund midfielder as the chief coach of the Nigerian national team.
No one fancies the international break, but some news of national victory or qualification to a major tournament can serve as a welcome development but certainly not some disturbing news of a row between the longest serving player in the bunch and an anointed manager... The tale of the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
When news filtered in that Vincent Enyeama was being walked out of the training camp by coach Sunday Oliseh, it was believed to be some unfounded rumour from the pit of the Nigerian prisons which is equal to hell by all standards.
However, a statement from the ruling football house in the country confirmed the ugly incidence but assured the situation was under control against the news that said Enyeama was out of camp already.
It's true that there was a little misunderstanding in the camp of @NGSuperEagles, but the matter has been resolved. Enyeama remains in camp
— The NFF (@thenff) October 6, 2015
A peep into the history book, we land in ombudsman in Sudan, where the Super Eagles were to play their hearts out for a win that would restore their chances of beating George Weah's Liberia to the sole World Cup ticket of that group; Sunday Oliseh, who was the captain of the team then and his deputy Finidi George had turned down the invitation to negotiate the contest as they believed Nigeria was fighting to lose. It went the other way round as the Sudanese needed the referee to bail them out after the Eagles ran riot 4:0 at a little past the hour mark with Okocha, Aghahowa, Ayegbeni and Pappilo on the score sheet.
Neither Oliseh nor Finidi was invited for the final victory over Ghana where Victor Agali and Tijani Babangida starred, the quartet were left out of Coach Onigbinde's squad to Korea and Japan. The rebellious Sunday Oliseh never apologized to Nigeria and his national team career sunk to rise no more at the alter of his ill advised ego.
Strangely, somewhere undisclosed in the Nigerian constitution seems to have it in hidden letters that the nation is indebted to the class of 94 Eagles and we must pay by making them national team coaches till we run out of them, it came to his turn after Keshi's shameful Ivory Coast story hence the emergence of the former Dortmund midfielder as the chief coach of the Nigerian national team.
Vincent Enyeama starred against England in the tournament Oliseh missed, that marked the end of the latter and the rise of the former, They meet again now but in acrimony. Vincent Enyeama has been the leading light in the team for over a decade, people started taking him seriously after his penalty heroics against Tunisia in the CAF cup of nations in 2006, if you have doubts about Vincent Enyeama, ask one of the best feet to grace the round leather game Lionel Messi. The shot stopper had missed the previous two matches of the new regime obviously due to the illness and eventual loss of his mother, whom he just buried over the weekend.
The burial rites must have delayed the skipper that he reported to camp late but the egoistic manager wanted to show his wits by ordering Enyeama out to prove who is in charge. Enyeama is one outspoken man, as experienced in times past with the glass house, he wasn't going to go down without a fight, hence the rumored statement that the coach said something about his mother which Enyeama didn't take lightly.
Truth must be said, nobody loses his mother and remains the same, not even few days after. Enyeama showed patriotism in high places by turning in in the camp in the first place, on arrival, he deserved a standing ovation with the manager in his right senses calling for a minute silence for the departed mum, the same ego that made sure Oliseh wouldn't feature at the 2002 World Cup reared its head again and the bad student of history let it win again.
Sadly we live in a country that forgets a meal once the plates are off the table, we only celebrate today, forgetting yesterday gave birth to today.
Some journalists have already started calling Enyeama names and backing Oliseh on his irresponsible outburst on a mourning soul. These same journalists would burn inks to call for the head of Oliseh after just two poor results.
The honorable thing to do for the coach is to retrace his steps, agreed no player is bigger than the team, but there are always instances of exceptions to the rule. For a player that saved us from humiliation severally, gave his all every match day, making it to the camp from the cemetery where he just bid his mother farewell forever, forcing him out in this manner is the beginning of failure to Sunday Oliseh's reigns as Eagles coach.
Article written by @Komptrolla
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