Izuchukwu Okosi
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The Nigeria Football Federation acquiesced to the wishes of Napoli and Watford Football clubs on the release of Victor Osimhen and Emmanuel Dennis for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
European clubs, their coaches and journalists especially the English media have insulted the African continent with their derisive comments and opinions about the Africa Cup of Nations as buttressed by former Arsenal, Crystal Palace and England striker, Ian Wright.
“Is there ever a tournament more disrespected than the Africa Cup of Nations? There is no greater honour, none as a sports person than representing your country. The coverage is completely tinged with racism,” Wright retorted.
A journalist had asked Ajax striker Sebastien Haller if he would leave the Dutch league for the African championship to to which Haller angrily rebuffed: “This shows disrespect for Africa.
“Would this [question] ever have been asked to a European player towards a European Championship? Of course, I will go to represent Ivory Coast. That is the highest honor,” the former West Ham United striker responded.
For Napoli, their argument is that Osimhen who has just returned from a serious facial injury tested positive for Covid-19 when he came to Nigeria briefly to see his family.
Dennis on the other hand was denied the chance to represent his country at the tournament as Watford manager Claudio Ranieri claimed that an email to that effect arrived late.
Of the two cases, Napoli has a more excusable reason but still they are not 100% correct and should not have been granted that wish of stopping Osimhen from playing in Cameroon by the Nigeria Football Federation.
Watford as a club has drawn the ire of Nigerian football faithful who have vowed that the relegation threatened side will suffer for more than 600 years for denying the red-hot striker Dennis a passage to AFCON 2021.
It was the same club that William Troost Ekong plays so how come the email was not a problem for Ekong but a big deal for Dennis?
To further buttress the problem here, Austin Eguavoen has replaced four players (Osimhen, Dennis, Leon Balogun and Shehu Abdullahi) with four others (Henry Onyekuru, Peter Olayinka, Tyrone Ebuehi and Semi Ajayi) and their invitations went seemlessly within a week.
Only Watford’s case is different. Only Watford out of all the clubs.
The Nigeria Football Federation insisted that the Cottagers bore their fangs in the Dennis situation and ostensibly do not want issues for the 24 year-old striker whose last game for Nigeria was in November 2020 so had to take him out of the squad.
There are insinuations that Dennis’ commitment to the Nigerian national team is half hearted as he isn’t sure of getting a starting lineup which Watford capitalised upon to deny his involvement in the Nations Cup.
But there won’t be any judgement for the player in this piece until he makes a public comment on the subject.
This writer believes that the NFF could have made a case out of these developments.
Why even accept Napoli’s threat? Even if it means Osimhen missing one game at the AFCON, after all, he can play other matches after an isolation period?
Napoli are billed to play Juventus on January 6 (coming Thursday) so that is the reason Napoli are disappointed.
The latest news coming from the Serie A side indicate that the Nigerian will be back in action on January 16 against Bologna when the Super Eagles will be on AFCON duty.
The President of NFF Amaju Pinnick could have used his good office to fight for Nigeria’s cause and put the English press and administrators who do not show respect to the Africa Cup of Nations in their place.
Accepting the clubs’ threats without putting in a fight was simply weak.
If Victor Osimhen and Emmanuel Dennis are not wanted by their clubs now, the strikers won’t be short of takers as many clubs will be lining up to sign them.
Nigerians do not want to hear this cheap tale next time of a chick being killed and the mother hen flying away!
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
