by Chris Adetayo
Lots of stuff have been written about who was right or wrong about the tiff that occurred during the week between Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, and the erstwhile skipper, Vincent Enyeama. I have no interest in going over the same.
I am more interested in what is now a pattern of behavior between former players turned coaches and their management of players in the SE. I start with Stephen Keshi. In 2012/2013, Keshi banished the Eagles leading striker, Osaze Odenwingie. Why?
Apparently, Osaze had requested permission to arrive late in camp preparatory to the 2013 Nations Cup. Lots of heated debate, accusations and counter accusations followed.
But guess what, in 1988, the same Keshi was shuttling between his base in Belgium and Morocco where the eagles were contesting the same Nations. Cup.
In fact, of the 5 matches the Eagles played, Keshi featured in only 2 (both against Cameroun, with the Eagles losing to the Indomitable a lions in the final). In essence, Keshi was unwillingly to grant to Osaze, the sort of leeway that he was granted 24 years earlier.
In the same vein, the same Oliseh that is now railing over a purported insubordination by his skipper is the same man who, in 2002 at the Nations Cup in Mali, reportedly committed acts of insubordination towards the then manager, Amadu Shuaibu, and the then Minister of Sports.
The episode was so bad that the minister ordered the replacement of the coach and banned several players (including Oliseh) from the team, thus denying Oliseh the chance of appearing at 3 consecutive World Cups.
As history will have it, it was that ministerial decision that opened the door to the likes of Enyeama in the team.
What does this tell us? I hazard a guess here. Could it be that our team managers grow up.
Chris is a marketing communications professional and an avid analyst of national and international affairs Connect with him on Facebook.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
