Monday, 29 June 2015

S’Eagles may not qualify for 2017 Nations Cup, Oliseh warns


Former Super Eagles Captain, Sunday Oliseh, has predicted the possibility of Super Eagles of not qualifying  for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Gabon.

Oliseh, writing on his blog, sundayoliseh.tv, based his prediction on the way officials of the Nigeria Football Fdfederation (NFF) are going about with the view to nailing Super Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama, over his uncomplimentary comments on Kaduna.

“Let Nigeria leave side issues and player character and face pure football. Otherwise we might not be at the next Nations Cup again as participants but as mere spectators!” Oliseh said.

He faulted how NFF officials have been all over the place in their quest to nail Enyeama for his supposed “uncomplimentary remarks” about the choice of Kaduna for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Chad.

“The current much ado about nothing on Vincent Enyeama’s comments disagreeing with the decision to play an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Kaduna is taking a direction now which, we may once again regret as a nation,” he warned.

According to him, all these attempts would have been meaningful if the player (Enyeama) had refused to play the match because of the security fears he raised.

“Nigeria is returning from a painful situation of missing out of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and barely has the qualifiers for the next edition started and an opinion of its captain is the latest thing to pounce on inorder to discredit a loyal servant in Vincent Enyeama. What is the hidden agenda this time? He asked.

Oliseh reminded that this was the same path the nation threaded in 2002 when in an attempt to discredit those of them that qualified the country for the 2002 World Cup and won bronze at the Africa Cup of Nations same year, branded them as mafia, undisciplined, for having the audacity to demand reimbursement of flight tickets to games to serve their fatherland.

“End result? Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup and the team had a free fall and still reeling from it till today.

“The love of fatherland and the repercussions are the only reasons why I feel I should share my fear with you all as we desperately need to be present at the next Nations Cup and do well.

He said that it might be difficult qualifying for the tournament “Without our best materials in good frame of mind and if you are unaware, Enyeama is definitely one of the indisputable world class players we can boast of today.

“Let Nigeria leave side issues and player character and face football. Otherwise we might not be at the next Nations Cup again as participants but as mere spectators,” he warned.

Aside Enyeama, the NFF is also on the trail of the coach Stephen Keshi, who is being investigated for allegedly applying for the Cote d’ Ivoire job while under contract with Nigeria.

Nigeria will face Tanzania in the next qualification September 6, 2015.

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