Former Super Eagles forward Brown Ideye has advised against the use of players who claim to be big but has low commitment to the national team; npflupdates.com reports.
Ideye was part of the Super Eagles squad that won Nigeria’s third Africa Cup Of Nations AFCON, title more than ten years ago.
Also read: Indiscipline Has Engulfed The Super Eagles Of Nigeria – Ikpeba
Before now, speculations have been spreading that some players in the national team feel too big to be dropped on the bench during games.
Several reports has it that some Super Eagles players snubbed former coach Finidi George for failing to feature them as they wished during games when he was in charge of the national team.
That attitude has prompted some ex internationals to call out the indiscipline in the national team.
Reacting, the former Olympiacos forward recalled how late coach Stephen Keshi would drop a player with low commitment to the bench.
According to Ideye, Keshi wouldn’t care about a player’s profile, or net worth.
Ideye recalled some events in the Super Eagles
“Ike Uche started coming in from the bench because the gaffer wasn’t getting what he wanted from him in training.
“He wasn’t happy about it, but the late Keshi won’t have it, despite he was playing in Villarreal then.
“For the ‘Big Boss’, it wasn’t about the club side where you are from; it’s about what you are willing to give when he puts you in the team,” Ideye was quoted by Sportsboom.
The former Dynamo Kyiv forward, further revealed that the current crop of players in the Super Eagles are more talented than the team that won the AFCON title in 2013.
However, Ideye pointed out the lack of determination as part of the problems facing the players.
“Yes. This current team has more talented players on paper than our team in 2013 but, do not have the heart we had.
“If you check our lineup back then, from the goalkeeper to Emenike, apart from Victor Moses, Mikel Obi, both at Chelsea and Vincent Enyeama at Lille, there were no well-known stars in the side playing consistently for their clubs back then,” he said.
“Even some were clubless or playing in the Nigerian Topflight.
“Onazi was in Lazio but, wasn’t a starter”
“Unlike what they have now, you have Ademola Lookman (Atalanta), Victor Osimhen, for Napoli, Iwobi, Bassey (Fulham), Ajayi, Ola Aina, even Zaidu Sanusi (Porto) apart from the goalkeeper, almost all the players are all in the elite league, with most in the EPL”.
Also read: AFCON 25: Support The Super Eagles And See Us Prove An Important Point – Awoniyi
“The talent is obvious for everyone to see, but the togetherness and the heart is what is missing.
“If they can get that sorted, then they’d achieve a lot. But it’s the game of football, anything can happen,” he concluded.
