Late apology denied Uche World Cup spot –Associate

An associate of Villareal striker Ikechukwu Uche has said that the player was denied a spot in the Super Eagles list released by Stephen Keshi because the call he made to the Nigeria coach was considered late. The Uche associate, who was privy to the telephone exchange between both men, spoke with The PUNCH on the condition of anonymity. He said the underlying difference between the player and Keshi that denied Uche a call-up was because the coach considered his call very late.

Uche spoke with Keshi two weeks ago before the 30-man provisional list was released.

He said, “When Uche called, Keshi told him he had no problem with him. Of course Uche raised the issue of tactical indiscipline on the part of the striker that had been reported widely in the media but he dismissed it as a matter that was over blown by the media.

“And the key thing, he wanted to know why Uche did not call since he was dropped and had to wait until April. He made it clear that all other players including (Joseph) Yobo and Osaze (Odemwingie) called to iron out their own issues. And then the conclusion was that it had become too late to make any change.”

Uche has not played for Nigeria since winning the 2013 Africa Nations Cup with Nigeria in a competition held in South Africa. The player has been ignored despite outcry from Nigerians and the striker being the highest scoring Nigerian  in the 2013/14 season. The Villareal player scored his 13th goal on Sunday to further distinguish himself as the country’s top hitman this term.

Osaze, who had been sidelined since 2012, was recalled after the coach said that the player had apologised for his comments on the coach and several Nigerian officials via Twitter. Yobo has also not played for Nigerian since the 2013 Nations Cup.

It was not possible for The PUNCH to speak with Keshi on Monday as his mobile telephone was switched off.

Meanwhile, Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has won the RFI – FRANCE 24 Marc-Vivien Foe award for the Best African Player in the French Ligue 1 for the 2013/14 season. The Lille goalkeeper beat Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier (Toulouse) and Cameroon international Henri Bedimo (Olympique Lyonnais).

Enyeama, 31, was picked by a jury composed of French journalists. Enyeama impressed football enthusiasts by keeping a clean sheet for 11 consecutive matches (1062 minutes). The Nigerian had lost the Professional Footballers Union best goalkeeper award on Sunday evening to Paris Saint Germain’s Salvatore Sirigu.