Now that the storm generated by the infamous Belgium blow-out between Super Eagles Coach Sunday Oliseh and 101 capped keeper Vincent Enyeama is almost blowing away, I think it fit to put in perspective and for correction a dangerous, harmful and pernicious trend/occurrence in the Super Eagles from 1993 to date.
Unsalutary tales of captain’s power and its misuse by Stephen Keshi, Uche Okechukwu, Sunday Oliseh ironically and now Vincent Enyeama. These captains have all acted like Head Boys and Union Leaders rolled into one in their times, challenging constituted authorities of the NSC, NFA/NFF and Coaches like dark knights and non-conformists.
They lead and drive in hostage-taking style and engaging in disruptive late night bargaining for match bonuses especially and who gets to coach the Eagles. I do admit that the issue of match bonuses have been a sore point now take care of. However these Captains too have been very unprofessional, limited in thinking and costly in theirVincent Enyeama, the Architypal Super Eagles Captain. actions. Several of their actions fall into moral hazards giving the fact that appearing in national colours have boosted their careers too.
Not withstanding the din of the moral hysteria that greeted the Oliseh-Enyeama imbroglio, the efforts by NFF to resolve same, I hold the view that to move forward institutionalized checks have to be put in place urgently in the Super Eagles structure to forestall further or repeat occurence. And although I gave Oliseh my support in his face off with Enyeama, I do hope he has learnt a thing or two from this unpleasant experience, especially because as captain of the Super Eagles to Mali 2002, with the active connivance of (then) Super Eagles coach Shuaibu Amodu, Oliseh’s behavior was no bbetter.
I recall annoyingly that he threw out Dr. Patrick Ekeji, then Director of NSC Sports Development and a symbol of authority out of the Super Eagles camp over match bonuses.
Enough of red flags sprouting in and around the team, let’s have total sanity please.
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