Soccer fans urge NFF to report naughty European clubs to FIFA
NAN-S-3
Clubs
By Chukwuemeka Opara
Abakaliki, Oct. 16, 2016 (NAN) Ebonyi football fans have urged the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to report clubs which refuse to release Super Eagles players to the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).
The fans, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abakaliki, were reacting to Chelsea FC of England’s featuring of Victor Moses on Saturday whom it claims to be injured.
NAN reports that Moses continued with his rich vein of form in his club’s 3-0 whitewash of Leicester City in the English Premiership duel and scored the third goal of the match.
Chinedu Chukwugbo, 1995 Golden Eaglets squad member, noted that the development showed Moses was fit to play against Zambia in last week’s ‘Russia 2018’ World Cup qualifier.
“Moses started the Leicester game just after a week Chelsea prevented him from playing for Nigeria as he appeared fit and showed no signs of injury.
“He was aggressive all through even engaging in tackles and deep-runs and it becomes evident that Chelsea intentionally prevented him from playing for Nigeria,” he said.
Bright Ojude, a Soccer Historian, urged the NFF to toe the path of past leaderships which ensured that players were promptly released by their clubs for national engagements.
“Those past NFF leaderships firstly engaged the clubs in dialogue over players’ release and promptly reported to FIFA in case of any intentional withholding of players.
“In cases where the players are pronounced injured by the clubs, they still reported to the Eagles’ camp to be properly assessed by the team’s medical team,” he said.
Harrison Obasi, Coach of Amateur side Ebonyi United, urged the NFF not toy with players’ release by their clubs to ensure ‘Russia 2018’ qualification.
“We need our best legs to prosecute the world cup qualification campaign as it is not yet Uhuru for the Eagles despite a bright start in their famed group of death.
“Clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester United among others who are competing in both domestic and continental fronts released players for their countries not to talk of Chelsea which is competing only in the EPL,” he said.
On his part, Chief Onyema Ikwu, a Hotelier and Soccer Buff, urged the Eagles players to resist attempts by their clubs to prevent them from honouring national calls.
“They should emulate national heroes such as the late Stephen Keshi, Wilfred Agbonavbare, among others, who had infractions with their clubs over their insistence on playing for the Eagles.
“This disposition made them heroes before soccer fans as the current Eagles players should toe this pact and disregard the NFF’s poor attitude towards players’ welfare,” he said.
Mrs Oluchi Nzekwe, a Teacher and soccer enthusiast, warned the Eagles over complacency, noting that they have achieved nothing yet in the qualification campaign.
“It is worthwhile to savour the euphoria of a bright start but the team should be focused and prayerful to achieve the ultimate qualification goal,” she said. (NAN)
RCO/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola