Ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has explained told his own side of the story following the clash with coach Sunday Oliseh which ultimately led to the Lille star’s premature international retirement.
Enyeama called it quits with the Super Eagles after 13 years with the Nigerian senior national team.
Enyeama revealed that he lost faith in the coach whom he highly regarded but told him that he longer could count and trust him.
In a tell-all video interview with Muveeztv Entertainment, the Lille goalkeeper said he deserves a chance to know why he was treated the way he was.
Completesportsnigeria.com reports that the Lille shot-stopper stormed out of the Eagles camp immediately former junior goalkeeper Dele Alampasu joined up the squad and when it was obvious Enyeama wasn’t in the starting line-up for Thursday’s friendly with DR Congo.
“I think it’s not the best way to treat a player who has served the country with so much passion, enthusiasm, so much dedication and commitment. I’ve honoured almost every invitation I have received and the way I have been treated these past few days personally I won’t accept that,” Enyeama began.
“I arrived in camp and with no issues with the coach. The coach being a big part of me fought for me when I had issues with the Nigerian Football Federation, the coach defended me all the way. I never knew him and he didn’t know me either. We never shared the football pitch together, we never trained together but I had so much respect for him. He even visited me in Lille.
“I watched the team train and after that there was a meeting where he talked about how the team trained and he ended it up saying he invited four goalkeepers because he never expected me to come to the camp.
“And secondly, that I was no more the captain of the team. That he decides and calls the shot. That was before we had dinner and he said enjoy your dinner.
“To me it was a little bit shocking because during my mother’s burial I was with the NFF President and was trying to excuse myself from the games but he insisted that I have to be in camp which I respected. He pushed me to go to Belgium. I abandoned every thanksgiving service and the family meetings in the village to report to camp.
“So for me to get my first welcome message in camp like being stripped of the captaincy was not good for me. After I had my meal, I insisted I wanted to talk and he said I can’t talk that if I talk he will order the team out so I can talk alone or I have go out but I insisted and he said ‘get out. Vincent if you don’t leave I will call the security to throw you out.’
“And he went to open the door to leave. For me to lose my mother and get stripped of the captaincy and you calling the security was the height of it. In other countries like Brazil, they never treated Thiago Silva or Javier Mascherano like that.
“Nigerians can say whatever they want to say but now I want to just be with my family. Why I said that was because the coach came into the bus and said he doesn’t know me, he doesn’t care about me and that he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me and I didn’t say anything. That he can’t count on me. So, that part people don’t know. I waited because the NFF President Amaju Pinnick told me to wait.
“I shouldn’t be forced to play with such coach. I don’t have any problem with him because he’s a great guy but I want to be with my family.
“This moment that I’m mourning my mum I don’t want more issues to it. I just want to be with my family. I think I deserve to know why I was stripped of the captaincy, moreso I was invited, I didn’t come through the back door. I have been playing for this country for 13 years and deserve such respect.
“In my club and I’m sure that happens everywhere, If you’re not playing, the coach comes to your room to tell you reasons why you are left out of the squad. If I have been part of the success story of our football and to be treated like that isn’t fair.
“I’m feeling so sad because I would have quit after the World Cup last year but I love Nigeria so much. It hurts me that Nigeria is struggling right now and I want to help bring back the good days.
“If the coach and the people don’t want me you can call me and take me out. You don’t have invite me to humiliate me in the midst of the players.
“This will only make me trust God and not man. What he did will discourage young players from giving their best. I never tried to fight with him but I insisted to talk.”
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