Enyeama and Emenike: Another “retirement” in 12 days! For why na?!

By Rotimi Akinola

We can’t believe Nigerian forward Emmanuel Emenike will no longer play for the Super Eagles.

He’s the second high profile player to quit the team in 12 days.

The dust is yet to settle over the early retirement of goalie Vincent Enyeama from the team, Emenike’s shocking exit raises more.

“Super Eagles is a camp not a family house, and it shouldn’t be a threat zone for any individual,” Emenike said on Instagram as he announced his early retirement on Monday.

We’re not sure why the pace-enabled and powerful forward used the term “threat zone.”

Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, had reportedly axed Emenike from next month’s World Cup qualifier against Swaziland.

“Oliseh is disappointed Emenike has not justified the confidence he has in him,” reports alleged a “top” inside source had said.

Since his appointment has head coach, Oliseh had made Emenike his top striker. However, the forward had not responded to that opportunity by scoring goals.

“I haven’t even sent a list to the NFF so how can anybody say I dropped Emenike?” Sunday Oliseh reportedly told sports journalist Colin Udoh on Tuesday morning.

Like Udon said in a blog post, “we await clarity.”

But please, permit us to let us to rant on. Thanks.

In fact, Emenike has failed to hit the back of the net for Nigeria in two years.

Did Oliseh “threaten” Emenike to “score or sit on the bench”? We don’t know. Even if the coach were to do that, wouldn’t he be right?

Oliseh had said from the start he would play only players who are at the top of their game. A misfiring hit man doesn’t seem to fit that profile.

However, the proximity of Emenike’s exit to Enyeama’s, and a common “feature” both share should worry Nigerian football administrators.

Enyeama lost his mother. He was till mourning her departure when the whole captaincy row took the Eagles camp by storm.

Emenike lost his father in May. We’re not sure if he’s over that yet…and now he quits apparently after some authority figure in the Super Ealges “threatened” him.

What is wrong with this team, in terms of people management that is?

There are rumours the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and coach Oliseh want to “clear out the old and usher in the new.”

After Enyeama announced his exit on Instagram, the NFF said it would make all Eagles sign a kind of social media usage policy agreement so they don’t iron the team’s dirty linen in public.

Is that why Emenike quit? Is there a “threat” in that “document.”

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Others say Oliseh, like so many other Nigerian coaches, may be lacking in requisite human management skills and so is finding it hard to handle the “arrogant” ones.

“Arrogant” here could mean merely telling the coach in front of the team you “want to say something.”

“Shut up and sit down, or gerarahia if you don’t want me to set the cops on you,” the coach may reply.

In September 2014, former Eagles left back Celestine Babayaro said no Nigerian would succeed as Eagles coach because…

I never thought any Nigerian coach is the right person for the Eagles. And note this, it has nothing to do with their ability as coaches. As coaches they may be terrific, but I have always maintained, an average Nigerian myself inclusive, we are very sentimental people and football and sentiments don’t go together.

Babayaro made the comments while ousted gaffe Stephen Keshi was leading the team. Keshi has issues with some of the players with “arrogant” Eagles forward Osazie Odemwingie one of them.

Keshi’s predecessor Samson Siasia, arguably one of the most tactically proficient Nigerian coaches, had his share of clashes with players all in the name of “discipline.”