Vincent Enyeama has been in the news
for two days now over his conflict with
the new Super Eagles coach, Sunday
Oliseh.
Enyeama, erstwhile captain and goalie
for the Nigerian Super Eagles football
team had a spat with Oliseh in Belgium,
where the team is currently camping in
preparation for two international
friendly matches with Congo, Thursday
and Sunday’s against Cameroon.
Enyeama has taken to Instagram to
declare his exit from the nation’s
football team , he followed up
by leaving the Super Eagles’ camp, and
expressed his sadness at losing his
mother.
But, before he left the camp Thursday ,
he granted an interview by telephone to
Galaxy Television in Lagos. On the
channel’s sports show, Sports
Edge, Enyeama expressed his sadness,
pain, and disappointment with
happenings in the Super Eagles team,
Nigerian football, his bereavement, and
reveals details about his heated
encounters with Sunday Oliseh.
Read what he has to say below:
Q: We have heard so much about your
rift with Super Eagles coach, Sunday
Oliseh. Tell us, what has been going
on?
First, of all, I want to thank Nigerians. I
appreciate the passion, the criticism,
everything. I want to say a very big
thank you.
On the issue on ground, I think this is
not the best way to treat someone who
has served the country with so much
enthusiasm and so much passion, so
much dedication, you know,
commitment. I think I have honoured
almost all the matched I have been
invited to play for the Super Eagles.
So to be treated the way I was treated a
couple of days ago, I personally don’t
accept that.
Q: Vincent, what really happened in the
camp between you and Oliseh? What is
the way you felt you were treated?
When I came to camp, I had no issues
with my coach. The coach has been a
big part of me. He is there for me. He
fought for me when I had issues with
the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).
The coach defended me all the way. I
have never had an issue with him.
He (Oliseh) doesn’t know me. I don’t
know him. We have never played
together. We have never shared a
football field, together.
The first thing that happened when I
first arrived at the camp was a
meeting. At the meeting, the coach
addressed the players. The first thing
he said was that he invited four
goalkeepers to camp because he never
expected me to come to the camp.
Then, secondly, he said that I was no
more the captain of the team. That he
had decided and he calls the shots.
That was before dinner. He ended his
speech with, “Enjoy your dinner”.
For me, it was a little bit shocking
because I spoke with the NFF chairman
(Amaju Pinnick) during the burial of my
mother in Akwa Ibom. I was trying to
excuse myself from coming to the
camp because of the burial. He said,
“No, Vincent, you have to be in camp”.
He pushed me to be in camp. And
because I really respect him (Pinnick), I
told him I was going to leave
everything, the thanksgiving service for
my late mum. I told him, I was going to
abandon it and come to the camp,
which I did.
All the family meetings, everything we
had to do with the people in the village,
I abandoned all and came to the camp.
So, for me to get my first welcome
message of being stripped of
captainship was a little bit not good for
me. And after I had taken my food and
ate, dinner had commenced. I am just
telling you what played out.
I said, “Coach, please, I would like to
say something.” He said, “No, you
can’t talk”. I insisted that I wanted to
talk. He insisted that I can’t talk. He
then said that if I wanted to talk, he
would order the team out and nobody
would listen to me and I would sit there
and talk alone or I would have to walk
out if I insisted on talking.
I said, “Coach, I still want to say
something.” And he said, “Vincent, get
out! You have to leave now. If you
don’t leave, I’m going to call the cops,
the security to throw you out of this
hotel.” He used the word, “security”.
He then got up, went to the door and
opened it and commanded me to go
out. He said, “Go out, go out, Vincent!
Or I am going to call the security.”
So that is how it played out.
So, for me to lose my mother, be
invited to the camp, only to be stripped
of captainship. Then out of argument,
to be threatened to have the cops or
security called for me, to me, I think it
is the height of it.
I have heard all sorts of things that
Naymar this and that. They never
treated Thiago Silva that way. They
never treated Mascherano that way.
Some Nigerians can say whatever they
want to say, but for me, I feel that’s
not the right way to be treated.
I am still open for playing for Nigeria
till the day I die. Till the day I can stop
playing football. Till the day God gives
me the grace to stop playing football or
to keep playing football. As long as I
can play football, I will play for my
country. Even at the age of 100, if I can
play football, I am still open to playing
for Nigeria.
But, now, I just want to go home and
be with my family.
Q: Does this mean that after speaking
with the NFF, you will seek official
excuse to leave the camp?
Yesterday, the coach (Oliseh) came
back to the bus and said he doesn’t
know me, he doesn’t want to know me,
he doesn’t care about me, and he
doesn’t have anything to do with me.
That is a part of this issue that people
don’t know because I haven’t said
anything. I keep my mouth quiet, and I
said nothing on that bus.
Q: When he said this, you still trained
with the team?
I am still with the team because
Pinnick told me to wait till he comes (to
Belgium). The president of the NFF told
me to wait, that is why I am waiting. I
am respecting him. That is why I am
still in the camp.
The coach said he doesn’t need me,
doesn’t want me, he doesn’t know me.
And he doesn’t want to know me. So, I
shouldn’t be forced to play with such a
coach.
I don’t have a problem with him
(Oliseh). He is a great man. He is a a
great guy. He is a nice guy. But, I tell
you the truth, I just wanna go home
and be with my family. This period, I
am mourning my mum, I don’t want
any more problems. Now, people are
saying all kinds of things like, “Vincent
is stubborn”.
I don’t know if there is anybody in this
world who is treated that way that
would not want to know why he is
being stripped of the captainship.
I am not so concerned about being
captain. I don’t have a problem with it
(being removed as captain). But, I think
I should be given an excuse, a reason
why.
I have been playing for Nigeria for 13
years. So I feel if a decision is being
taken on me, I think I deserve to know
why.
And moreso, I was being invited. I did
not come through the backdoor. I was
invited.
In my club, in the European Club, if a
coach doesn’t play you in a match, he
comes to your room, or he calls you, or
he invites you to his room. He tells you,
“You’re not going to play today,
because I want to field another player”.
It shows respect.
I have worked so hard for my country.
I was part of the success of Nigerian
football, then I am being treated like
that without being given a chance to
express myself. Then, I think that is
not fair.
I am feeling so sad. I am feeling really,
really sad. Because I would have
stopped playing football for Nigeria
after the World Cup. But, then, I
changed my mind because I love the
country so much. I love Nigeria so
much. I want her to return to glory. I
want to be part of that glory. I want to
be part of the pain. I want to be part of
what happens in Nigerian football. It
breaks my heart that Nigerian football
is struggling. But, then, I want to be
part of rewriting our story.
But, if the coach and the people don’t
want me to be part of it, I believe there
are better ways of taking me out. You
can call me and talk to me. You can
send me a message. You can do a
phone call. You don’t need to invite me
to camp, to tell me in the presence of
everyone. You don’t need to invite me
to tell me that you’re going to call the
cops for me.
I did nothing wrong. I am not an armed
robber. I feel as it I am being treated
for what I did. I feel bad, I feel bad. I
am telling you the truth. I feel really
bad. I feel very sad.
Q: In this trying moment, when you
lost your mother, and are now dealing
with this row with your coach, what can
you say you have learnt from this
episode. Vincent, as a man, what have
you taken away from all this?
I have learnt a lot. Not to trust any
man. But to trust only God. Only God
doesn’t disappoint.
We appreciate you, Vincent Enyeama.
You first played for Nigeria on June
12, 2002 in Korea at the World Cup. We
just want you to know that Nigerians
adore you. Condolences on the passing
of your mother.
Sorry to cut you short. But this is so
painful for me. What do you think
those young players will think? “Oh, if
Vincent is being treated this way, what
about me? I don’t have a future.” It
discourages people from playing for
their country. It discourages people
from giving so much for this country.
Imagine you were working so hard for
your establishment and one day , you
boss walks in and says,”You’re fired.”
How would you feel?
Hmmmmm
Answer me. In the presence of
everybody in the meeting room, he
says, “Mr. Peter, you’re fired! You are
relieved of your duties.” I wonder what
you would do?
I would summon up courage and ask
why.
That is what I did. I asked, ‘Why?’ And
he said, “Walk out or I’ll call the cops.”
How would you feel? Happy or sad?
I will feel bad. Very bad.
Exactly, that is how I am feeling now.
Q: Vincent, there is a report that you
entered into an altercation with Oliseh.
Vincent, did you threaten to fight your
coach at any point in time?
Never. Never. Never. God is my
witness. God is the judge. I was
prevented from speaking. I was never
even given a chance to speak.
Hmmmmmm
I have heard a lot of people say I
should have sat down. I should have
taken it easy.
For God’s sake, I have played for
Nigeria for 13 years. Not one, not two
(but 13 years).
So, if I am being treated like a player
who is just coming into the camp for
his debut game, then I don’t need to be
here. It’s a simple thing.
The coach says he doesn’t count on
me. I don’t have a problem with that.
For me, I just want to respect my mum
and walk home.
Vincent, we really appreciate you for
everything you have done for our
country, Nigeria. We hope and pray
that indeed all your efforts will never
be in vain. And in this trying moment,
God will indeed comfort you, Vincent
Enyeama.
Thank you.
(Thank you, very much)
Courtesy:The Trent
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