Former Nigeria international, Garba Lawal, has blamed the Super Eagles’ 2-0 defeat to DR Congo, on the in-fighting between coach Sunday Oliseh and goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama.
Lawal criticized the national team’s performance and insisted Oliseh should have shown more maturity in dealing with the issue.
“Actually, the game was not good enough and for us to lose the game by 2-0 is disappointing,” Lawal told Goal .
“The rhythm of the game and everything about it just went wrong. If DR Congo could beat us now, it means football is changing and there is no small game either.
“Before we think we will meet any small country, we think we could beat them. Now we can see now that there are no small games. Every game for national teams now is like a cup final in Africa.
“It is going to be tough on Sunday and everybody knows our game against Cameroon on Sunday is always kicking and pushing. I believe we all got it wrong, if we lose a game, we should know something is wrong.
“Whether we like it or not, in football there are ups and downs.”
Lawal praised record-capped Enyeama, who retired after 13 years in the Eagles team.
“Well done to Enyeama, 13 years is not easy and he is been doing wonderfully for the country. But I could have loved to see him retire in a better way and not like this,” he continued.
“The whole years since he came in and started very well and had ups and downs with the national team. Nevertheless, Enyeama has been wonderful, but whether we like it or not, he is going to leave the team and the team will continue. Only that I didn’t expect him to leave this way.
“You and I were not in the camp, but I think when this kind of incident happened I believe the coach could have done better. I don’t know how it degenerated to the point where a coach and his captain will be involved in such kind of confrontation and such exchange of words which doesn’t make sense at all.
“When a coach is new in a place he should call the oldest player here and tell him he is a new coach and I want to select my captain because every coach has his own philosophy.
“He should have made him understand that he is even more important than his captain and that would have made Enyeama happy bearing in mind he could leave soon and not thinking of the arm-band.
“[Oliseh] has to learn how to control his temper. As a coach and a manager, you are like a father and must act as one. I think he should know how to control himself. When you are a coach you need to learn how to manage everybody, even your technical crew,” he lamented.
“Now there is no way you can convince Enyeama to play for the team – he is not going to come back with what has happened. Normally, even if he did not retire I don’t expect him to play every game because he has contributed a lot to the team. What has happened, has happened we move on.”
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