An Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Felix Anyansi-Agwu, has revealed that 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.
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 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, the Belgian Embassy on Wednesday night in Abuja released visas of the six Super Eagles players for the international friendly with Congo and Cameroun respectively.
Toyin Ibitoye, the Super Eagles Media Officer, revealed that visas of the team’s backroom staff were also released.
He, however, said only two of the invited six home-based players would now make the trip to Belgium, while the other four players would return to the team’s Port Harcourt camp to continue with preparations for Championship of African Nations (CHAN).
He said “Chima Akas and Austin Oboroakpo are the two players going to Belgium.
“Prince Agreey, Paul Onobi and goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Femi Thomas will return to camp in Port Harcourt; they will not make the trip again.
“The decision to drop them is not because of visa but because other players have been called up as backup.’’
He also said that Coach Aloy Agu, team doctor Ibrahim Gyaran, NFF Assistant General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme, Kit manager and himself were among those to depart the shores of the country on Wednesday night for Belgium.
The Eagles media officer also said that team’s Physiotherapist, Wale Oladejo, would leave for Belgium on Thursday October 8, to join the team.
The Eagles will play Congo Democratic Republic and their Camerounian counterparts on October 8 and 11 respectively, in international friendlies in Belgium.
The encounters are in preparation of Nigeria’s build-up to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches lined up for the team.
