Interview: Enyeama opens up more on full details of his rift with Coach, Sunday Oliseh



Former Super Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama has been in the news following his rift with Coach Sunday Oliseh. Enyeama announced his resignation from the national team via the social platform. In this interview with Galaxy Television, Enyeama however, the Akwa Ibom born goal tender is saying he wants to be part of the team to re-write the history of Nigeria football.

We have heard so much about your rift with Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh. tell us, what has been going on?

First, of all, I want to thank Nigerians. I appreciate the passion, the criticism, everything. I want to say a very big thank you.

On the issue on ground, I think this is not the best way to treat someone who has served the country with so much enthusiasm and so much passion, so much dedication, you know, commitment. I think I have honoured almost all the matches I have been invited to play for the Super Eagles.

So to be treated the way I was treated a couple of days ago, I personally don’t accept that.

What really happened in the camp between you and Oliseh? How were treated?

When I came to camp, I had no issues with my coach. The coach has been a big part of me. He is there for me. He fought for me when I had issues with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). The coach defended me all the way. I have never had an issue with him.

He (Oliseh) doesn’t know me. I don’t know him. We have never played together. We have never shared a football field, together.

The first thing that happened when I first arrived at the camp was a meeting. At the meeting, the coach addressed the players. The first thing he said was that he invited four goalkeepers to camp because he never expected me to come to the camp.

Secondly, he said that I was no more the captain of the team. That he had decided and he calls the shots. That was before dinner. He ended his speech with, “Enjoy your dinner”.

For me, it was a little bit shocking because I spoke with the NFF chairman (Amaju Pinnick) during the burial of my mother in Akwa Ibom. I was trying to excuse myself from coming to the camp because of the burial. He said, “No, Vincent, you have to be in camp”. He pushed me to be in camp. And because I really respect him (Pinnick), I told him I was going to leave everything, the thanksgiving service for my late mum. I told him, I was going to abandon it and come to the camp, which I did.

All the family meetings, everything we had to do with the people in the village, I abandoned all that and came to the camp.

So, for me to get my first welcome message of being stripped of captainship was a little bit not good for me. And after I had taken my food and ate, dinner had commenced. I am just telling you what played out.

I said, “Coach, please, I would like to say something.” He said, “No, you can’t talk”. I insisted that I wanted to talk. He insisted that I can’t talk. He then said that if I wanted to talk, he would order the team out and nobody would listen to me and I would sit there and talk alone or I would have to walk out if I insisted on talking.

I said, “Coach, I still want to say something.” And he said, “Vincent, get out! You have to leave now. If you don’t leave, I’m going to call the cops, the security to throw you out of this hotel.” He used the word, “security”.

He then got up, went to the door and opened it and commanded me to go out. He said, “Go out, go out, Vincent! Or I am going to call the security.”

So that is how it played out.

So, for me to lose my mother, be invited to the camp, only to be stripped of captainship. Then out of argument, to be threatened to have the cops or security called for me, to me, I think it is the height of it.

I have heard all sorts of things that Neymar this and that. They never treated Thiago Silva that way. They never treated Mascherano that way. Some Nigerians can say whatever they want to say, but for me, I feel that’s not the right way to be treated.

I am still open for playing for Nigeria till the day I die. Till the day I can stop playing football. Till the day God gives me the grace to stop playing football or to keep playing football. As long as I can play football, I will play for my country. Even at the age of 100, if I can play football, I am still open to playing for Nigeria.

But, now, I just want to go home and be with my family.

Does this mean that after speaking with the NFF, you will seek official excuse to leave the camp?

Yesterday, the coach (Oliseh) came back to the bus and said he doesn’t know me, he doesn’t want to know me, he doesn’t care about me, and he doesn’t have anything to do with me.

That is a part of this issue that people don’t know because I haven’t said anything. I keep my mouth quiet, and I said nothing on that bus.

When he said this, you still trained with the team?

I am still with the team because Pinnick told me to wait till he comes (to Belgium). The president of the NFF told me to wait, that is why I am waiting. I am respecting him. That is why I am still in the camp.

The coach said he doesn’t need me, doesn’t want me, he doesn’t know me. And he doesn’t want to know me. So, I shouldn’t be forced to play with such a coach.

I don’t have a problem with him (Oliseh). He is a great man. He is a a great guy. He is a nice guy. But, I tell you the truth, I just wanna go home and be with my family. This period, I am mourning my mum, I don’t want any more problems. Now, people are saying all kinds of things like, “Vincent is stubborn”.

I don’t know if there is anybody in this world who is treated that way that would not want to know why he is being stripped of the captainship.

I am not so concerned about being captain. I don’t have a problem with it (being removed as captain). But, I think I should be given an excuse, a reason why.

I have been playing for Nigeria for 13 years. So I feel if a decision is being taken on me, I think I deserve to know why.

And moreso, I was being invited. I did not come through the backdoor. I was invited.

In my club, in the European Club, if a coach doesn’t play you in a match, he comes to your room, or he calls you, or he invites you to his room. He tells you, “You’re not going to play today, because I want to field another player”. It shows respect.

I have worked so hard for my country. I was part of the success of Nigerian football, then I am being treated like that without being given a chance to express myself. Then, I think that is not fair.

I am feeling so sad. I am feeling really, really sad. Because I would have stopped playing football for Nigeria after the World Cup. But, then, I changed my mind because I love the country so much. I love Nigeria so much. I want her to return to glory. I want to be part of that glory. I want to be part of the pain. I want to be part of what happens in Nigerian football. It breaks my heart that Nigerian football is struggling. But, then, I want to be part of rewriting our story.

But, if the coach and the people don’t want me to be part of it, I believe there are better ways of taking me out. You can call me and talk to me. You can send me a message. You can do a phone call. You don’t need to invite me to camp, to tell me in the presence of everyone. You don’t need to invite me to tell me that you’re going to call the cops for me.

I did nothing wrong. I am not an armed robber. I feel bad, I feel bad. I am telling you the truth. I feel really bad. I feel very sad.

In this trying moment, when you lost your mother, and are now dealing with this row with your coach, what can you say you have learnt from this episode. What have you taken away from all this?

I have learnt a lot. Not to trust any man. But to trust only God. Only God doesn’t disappoint. But this is so painful for me. What do you think those young players will think? ‘Oh, if Vincent is being treated this way, what about me? I don’t have a future.’ It discourages people from playing for their country. It discourages people from giving so much for this country. Imagine you were working so hard for your establishment and one day , your boss walks in and says,”You’re fired.” How would you feel?

Hmmmmm

Answer me. In the presence of everybody in the meeting room, he says, “Mr. Peter, you’re fired! You are relieved of your duties.” I wonder what you would do?

I would summon up courage and ask why.

That is what I did. I asked, ‘Why?’ And he said, “Walk out or I’ll call the cops.”

There is a report that you entered into an altercation with Oliseh. Did you threaten to fight your coach at any point in time?

Never. Never. Never. God is my witness. God is the judge. I was prevented from speaking. I was never even given a chance to speak.

I have heard a lot of people say I should have sat down. I should have taken it easy.

For God’s sake, I have played for Nigeria for 13 years. Not one, not two (but 13 years).

So, if I am being treated like a player who is just coming into the camp for his debut game, then I don’t need to be here. It’s a simple thing.

The coach says he doesn’t count on me. I don’t have a problem with that. For me, I just want to respect my mum and walk home.





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  1. When your club coach says don't speak, do you normally insist on speaking??. Why not let the man who invited you to camp (Pinnick) know first what was happening??
    Did you adhere to team rules in the manner you joined the rest of your team??

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    1. Club coach would av discuss d issue with him b4 saying it in d meeting, that's how it's done over there. Nigerian r alway power drunk

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    2. I think Sunday was very wrong, he should have used his own experience in his playing days to treat the issue not acting like a punk

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    3. Beyond being a coach, there is what is called mutual respect( Accord respect to long serving faithfuls).. With such an attitude from coach Oliseh, i dont expect his team to even win games because he is already going about it the wrong way.Motivate your players not intimidate them! wake up coach before you loose your best hands and legs...

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    4. Beyond being a coach, there is what is called mutual respect( Accord respect to long serving faithfuls).. With such an attitude from coach Oliseh, i dont expect his team to even win games because he is already going about it the wrong way.Motivate your players not intimidate them! wake up coach before you loose your best hands and legs...

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  2. Enyema u are one youngman I admire in Nigerian football. Pls leave wen d ovation is very high. God will continue to enlarge ur coast. Shun criticism

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  3. R u sure you have not inadvertently fu**ed Oliseh's lover in the past? This is strange, what I just read. There is more (likely from the past) to Oliseh's childish attitude toward you, Eyeama. Either he is acting out the scripts of his employers, whom you might have offended (that could be a private clause for his appointment) or a vendetta is playing out.

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  4. my friend what are u still doing at the camp
    go home to ur family, why are u waiting for pinnick or wetin be is name
    close dat chapter joor, oliseh is not well, no respect
    respect goes both ways

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  5. Whether Enyeama was right or wrong, I still feel Oliseh as the coach and a more mature person, should have manage the situation better than he did, Siasia would have handled it better

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  6. Enyeama statement shows Oliseh was not lying in his interview,he asked you not to talk and sit down but you insisted to talk haba?ur coach is ur boss,y not let him be as a respect and u were actually shouting on top of ur voice as u were explaing in dis interview,its very harsh on ur coach and a new coach indeed who would want to be in control of his team,for playing for 13yrs is a privilege wis u should cherish d more and not allow ur temperament to overshadow u.u should have not retired in dat manner.look at Lampard,Terry,Carick,etc

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    1. You did not read the story very well. Do that you'll noticed the ulterances of the coach. I mean we are not goat.

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    2. Players are not houseboys to the coaches. Oliseh should never treat players that way. If he felt threatened by Enyeama's status, he should never have invited him, and if he didn't want him on the team, he should have told him privately and nicely. Who is Oliseh to stop Enyeama from talking?

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  7. @Fred Oshomogho, You talked like a typical Nigeria that is authority conscious without respect to human dignity. In overseas, coaches take decision and inform their players of their decision before making it public. Dunga told Thiago Silver that he would no longer be captain before announcing it, Thiago did not hear it for the first time in camp during a meeting. The former liverpool coach, Ro told Balotelli and Boroni he would not need their services, a decision was taken about the future of Gerard in Liverpool, he was informed on time before it was made public. Oliseh has a point for choosing Musa but professionalism demands that he informed the previous captain of decision to choose Musa. He should also discuss it with big guys in the team like Mikel. Look Fergie did seek the opinion of Ryn Gigs before taking certain decision. Van Gaal has also said that he normally talk to Rooney before taking some decision. It does not mean that these guys decide for him. But it is professionalims and sign of respect to old time player. So, it is not only Enyema that has been embarrassed. Older players in the team like Mikel deserve respect and Oliseh should apologise to them if he did not discuss that with them because it is a neglect of their experience and sacrifice to fatherland.

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    1. Am very sure you haven't listened to Oliseh version of the story. He ordered not to talk about it in dat place. Why hasn't wait and meet him in private .??

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    2. Fred u eat from ur anus. Oliseh did not discuss it beforehand with Enyama. Can u swallow such embarrassment simply bcos u want to respect the coach. If Oliseh did not have anything against Enyama, he would have informed him of his decision privately before going public.

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    3. No matter what Fred, you reap what you sow. Was he Oliseh ever respectful to his coach, was he not among mafias of eagles. No matter what Nigerian coach or African coaches always lack wisdom in handling players, always asking them to leave the pitch of Play.

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  8. I wonder what Nigerians,we're thinking when they made somebody whom we know his behaviour as a player to manage the NATIONAL TEAM.

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  9. Abeg. .. Enyeama lied. He stated in his earlier account that the coach insulted his late mother and also used securities to bundle him out of camp. He should apologise for misleading Nigerians and admit all he really wants is the captaincy

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    1. He's nt talking abt direct insult, what he mean't by insult is been in camp when he should b mourning his mother's death and coach did nt care to give him dat respect

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    2. He never said so. Read well sir. He said it will b an insult to his dead mother if he remains in camp after all that has happened. Read well

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    3. @anonymous 10:12am. Is it not an insult to the mother whom was just buried. It seems u don't have a discerning mind.

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    4. @anonymous 10:12am. Is it not an insult to the mother whom was just buried. It seems u don't have a discerning mind.

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  10. One question I will like to ask Oliseh is that. Of all the years he has played here in Europe. Has any of his colleagues been treated the way this guy analysed how he said you Oliseh treated him. You ought to know better for you have lived and played here in Europe for years. One thing that I don't understand among we Nigerian is that upon our interaction with civilised society here in abroad. As soon as we get back home, we just put all we have learnt here into dustbin. This shows the manner typical nigerian behaviour. Power drunk. Remember you are there today and someone else will be there after you. Then you will look back and say had I known.

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  11. Fred whatever they called you stop being bias or write out of comtempt,oliseh is very rude and arrongant in his hature.oliseh fought his coah and disrespected is co players in his time.never you try to turn white into black cos the is on the wall,moreover act out of sentiments he will his brother will dominate the team but nemesis will catch with him someday cos in everthing we do there is a reward.

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  12. Bird of the same feather flock together. Respect is earn but not by force , my observation is ,vincent want to challenge olises decision of stripping him captainship in an unwanted manner.

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  13. Despite captaining Nigeria during the 2002 African Cup of Nations, Oliseh was omitted from his country's World Cup squad later that year for disciplinary reasons. After missing out on World Cup selection, Oliseh retired from international football in June 2002.[7]

    In March 2004, Oliseh was sacked by Borussia Dortmund after punching team-mate Vahid Hashemian while on loan at VfL Bochum.[8][9]

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  14. what befell Siasa SHALL befall Oliseh. Arrogant and pride leads before a fall. This is very immature of a national coach. He should resign before he crumbles Nigerian football

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  15. The down fall of oliseh

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  16. Mikel will soon show this Oliseh coach I know!

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