international career, but not without some controversy. He alleged the head
coach Sunday Oliseh insulted his late mother, had security throw him out of
the camp and stripped him. In an exclusive interview with www.footballlive.ng
Sunday Oliseh debunked the claims insisting the 33-year-old defamed.
The full excerpt of the interview:
I am deeply saddened, troubled and profoundly hurt by the assassination of
my person as Vincent Enyeama has done over the past two days on social
about me insulting his mother, these allegations are unheard of.
When I was appointed the chief coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, I drove to
Lille to see Vincent, took him to lunch and discussed how we wanted to move
forward with him as my captain. I shared my philosophy with him and he
made a statement I didn't like, he said he was going to retire in a year or two
and I told him I wouldn't hear of it as he was the captain of the team because
we were thinking of taking the team to the 2017 AFCON and 2018 World Cup;
but we can't build a team with you as captain if you are retiring in 2017.
2 weeks ago before the camp started he told us about his mother's burial but
I couldn't go and there was an arrangement with the President who assured
me he'd be there on behalf of the NFF and team. But he started talking about
retirement so at that moment I felt we needed someone else as captain; it had
nothing to do with hurting anybody.
I don't know Vincent personally, I've only been named coach and in fact we've
seen only once. He's served Nigeria very well and as Captain, I was also
captain and I know how difficult that job is.
We started camp on Monday, to my greatest surprise Mikel Obi and Ighalo
camp in on Sunday night. We had invited 4 goalkeepers and he told us he had
to bury his mother. So, Obviously he couldn't report to camp early until
Tuesday, just about the time we were rounding up; he drove into training
ground.
Prior to his coming in, we had the Nigeria ambassador to Belgium come in to
talk with the team because our delegation had not been given visas to come
in, 6 players were stuck in Nigeria over the hitch; 2 of them were goalies. And
somebody had to act in the absence of the Captain which Musa had been
doing well prior to the Tanzania and Niger games. And I remember, when the
Ambassador wrapped up I told Musa; as the captain, to introduce the team as
a way to appreciate him.
But the boys did not train well that afternoon, the ball playing was
good but our
objectiveness on the ball was not up to my liking so later at dinner I
called the
team and told them I was not happy and demanded more from them. Only for
Vincent to stand up insisting on saying somethings but I told him to see me
about it later. He refused and as side talks persisted I called him to order, he
started raising his voice, I told him we couldn't have two coaches in the team
and that he had to retire to his room. His colleagues got up and escorted him
out of the hall. Two of his colleagues came in later to see me; the Captain
Ahmed Musa and Mikel Obi, pleaded on his behalf and we left it there. Only for
issues to start popping up on social media alleging we insulted him and his late
mother.
Most people are not aware of this but I'll tell you now that when we went to
play in Tanzania I personally asked for the team to wear the black band in
honor of his mother and for us to observe a minute's silence , we asked and
we went through the channel of Dayo Enebi, but they said we should have
made the demand earlier, does this sound like a man who wants to humiliate
his captain?
What happened after wards, was alarming. We had only two goalkeepers, 15
players and we were playing a friendly game so we had to call in players who
did not need visas to come into Belgium as quick as possible to make up
numbers. We now had to call in Alampasu because we had only 2
goalkeepers; we were already making a case with Alloy to get ready if
anything happened. We called Efe Ambrose and Madu in, working like we were
a fire brigade.
I did not even have time to reply social media chats because we had to work.
However on the match day, Vincent did not come to lunch, I was confused
because I thought we'd put all of the previous night's issues behind us. I
called him and asked why he wasn't in for lunch and he said he was returning
to his club. He said because I invited Alampasu he was leaving. Alloy Agu is
my witness, God is my witness.
Culled from www.footballlive.ng
