Felix Anyansi-Agwu, an Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), says the squabble between Super Eagles’ coach Sunday Oliseh and goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has been settled. Anyansi, who is the Federation’s Technical Committee Chairman, said the squabble which had led to the coach stripping the goalkeeper of the team’s captaincy was an internal matter.
“It is an internal matter and it has been settled by the NFF,’’ he said.
The NFF board member, who is also Chairman of Enyimba International Football Club of Aba, however refused to say if the captain’s band had been returned to Enyeama.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oliseh, in the wake of the squabble, had stripped Enyeama of the team’s captaincy and handed it to Ahmed Musa.
The row had erupted at the team’s camp in Belgium where it was preparing for two friendly matches billed for Thursday and Sunday, against DR Congo and Cameroon respectively.
Enyeama had reported late to camp, after staying back in Nigeria last weekend to be involved in the burial ceremony of his late mother in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
But, having missed the team’s last set of games against Tanzania and Niger, Oliseh had said there was a need for a change.
He had argued that for the team to move forward, he needed a player who was regular in the team.
The coach had also pointed out that the performance of Musa in recent matches earned him the captain’s band.
Already, Enyeama has expressed regrets on the social media about his 13 years of service to the national team following the squabble with the Eagles’ Head Coach.
Through his instagram page, the goalkeeper said on Wednesday that he had been stripped naked by Oliseh’s latest decision.
“After 13 years of national service, having these smiles on my face and this passion in my heart, the thought of being stripped naked and security agents throwing me out breaks me completely.
“The service came through the billows, the waves of the ocean, the tears of defeat and the sound of rejoicing from victory chants. I will take anything but not insult to my dead mother,’’ he wrote.
Meanwhile, Anyansi-Agwu has expressed regrets about the refusal of the Belgian Embassy in Abuja to grant the Super Eagles’ backroom staff and six home-based players visa to Belgium.
The entry visa for the officials and players was to enable them join other team officials and invited overseas-based teammates for the international friendlies.
“The Belgian Embassy has succeeded in frustrating us because our medical team will not be in Belgium for the matches if the visas are not issued.
“We applied for these visa three weeks ago. So, there is no room for the embassy to say we applied late. After all, some people do apply for visa and get it within one week.
“But let’s see how it goes. I am not keen on being in Belgium, but I am concerned about the backroom staff who will take care of the players,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the players affected by the visa hitch are goalkeepers Femi Thomas and Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Chima Akas and Austin Oboroakpo, midfielder Paul Onobi and forward Prince Aggrey.(NAN)
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