Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, has warned Nigerians and press to stop asking him about the Villareal striker, Ikechukwu Uche.
Keshi said claimed that the press should ask Uche why he turned him down about the time he was called. According to him, Uche who is in his best form in Spain, was accused of turning down his country after pleading to him to join the team to play against Congo and South Africa in the past few months, an accusation which he was quick to debunk on his Twitter page.
Keshi, for the very first time spoke extensively on the issue and he appealed it should be the last time he is asked about it.
“I don’t want to talk about the issue of Ikechukwu Uche again and I don’t want anybody to ask me about him again,” Keshi said while responding to a journalist’s question.
“Before last month’s game against Congo, I did the list. I didn’t even want to do the list because I never knew I would come back to handle the team. I told them I am not the coach that the NFF should do the list but they said no, I should please do the list.
“I did the list and Ikechukwu Uche’s name was on the 25 man list I did. He didn’t even know about it because I did not tell him. Uche then called me four days later and said “Coach how are you? and I said boy it is good to hear your voice.” We just spoke like brothers and that was it.
“I then told [Team] Secretary, Dayo Enebi, to ask if the players have South African visas and the ones that don’t have he should take their passports ahead of time to process their visas.
“He then asked Ikechukwu Uche and Uche said why is he asking him and why was he asking for his international passport.
“I hate to speak without Uche not being here or if you want to call him put him on speaker to know who is telling lies or not. And please nobody should ask me about Uche again.
“Uche said he needs somebody to talk to him about something they said about him as being a bad kid and they said he did something wrong.
“Then I said okay [Dayo Enebi] take his name out. I am not going to beg Uche and I am not going to tell Daniel to beg Uche, for what?
“We have played for this country for over 20 years and nobody ever begged us to play for the country. We are the ones always begging to play.
“So please let this be the end today. Don’t ask me about Uche. We have Obafemi Martins and others doing well and nobody is making fuss about not being invited.
“What is wrong with him? Why do people want to tear this team apart,” Keshi asked.
The National team are set to play without the injured Victor Moses and Micheal Babatunde as they are set to face Sudan in the AFCON 2015 qualifying game.
The fate of Keshi as coach of the national team is hinged on the qualifiers with the newly elected NFF executive board expected to deliberate on offering him a permanent contract after all matches are played.
