African Nations Cup veteran, Felix Owolabi Akinloye believes the poor treatment meted out to Vincent Enyeama in 2015 will continue to haunt the Super Eagles. He left the Eagles camp in Belgium after manager Sunday Oliseh dropped him as captain.
Owolabi, popularly called ‘Owo Blow’ argued that the timing of Enyeama’s guilty verdict was wrong, at a time he was still emotional following the loss of his mom.
“I will say the problem of the national team started when Enyeama was disgraced out of the Eagles camp. Remember he lost his mother and he had to report to camp,” Owo Blow said.
The former Eagles wing back had expected the press to wade into the clash between Oliseh and Enyeama but was disappointed.
“I thought the Nigerian press would rise in defence of that boy. Unfortunately, I read series of articles that were not palatable. Today, after about seven years, Nigeria is paying the price,” Owolabi added.
Oliseh felt diminished when Enyeama reported to camp for Eagles friendly against Congo in Brussels and spent time chatting on the sidelines. The next move was to hand over the Captain’s band to Ahmed Musa.
Many felt that while the manager had the right to choose his Captain, he should have handled it with wisdom since Enyeama could not have been in the best of moods and did not want to be seen as someone who refused to report to national duty.
World Cup 2002 coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, who gave Enyeama his first national cap against Kenya in 2002 cautioned against the treatment. Austine Eguavoen condemned it too.
Since Enyeama quit, the Eagles have had problems in the goalkeeping area. Carl Ikeme who was doing well suddenly retired from soccer after a threatening medical condition. Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Francis Uzoho, Julius Akpeyi and Maduka Okoye have been unable to command respect.
Owolabi could be right. Enyeama remains the best goalie produced by Nigeria. He has won the African Nations Cup, taken part in three World Cups, lifted the CAF Super Cup and Champions League twice and voted Player of the CAF Champions League twice.
Enyeama’s commitment to club and country was not in doubt. In 2004, he was involved in a crash which claimed two lives around Itu on the Calabar – Uyo Highway. He left with minor injuries but still kept goal for Enyimba against Esperance of Tunisia in a CAF Champions League semi finals game.
Before that match he was in Libreville when the Eagles earned a 1-1 draw with Azingo National in a Germany 2006 World Cup qualifier.
After the match in Gabon, Enyimba flew to Blantyre to face Bakili Bullets. Enyeama arrived with the Eagles but missed the flight to Malawi because his international passport was misplaced. He made the trip in the next 24 hours and helped the Elephants to a 1-1 result.
On return from Blantyre he flew to Calabar from Lagos to see his family in Uyo. It was during that road trip that the crash occured.
In 2003, Enyeama was stripped of the Skipper’s band after Ismaili pounded Enyimba 6-1 in one of the group matches of the CAF Champion’s League. Yet, he was in goal when his team won the trophy at the same stadium on December 12.
There was no spat with Kadiri Ikhana because it was handled with maturity when the band was taken from Enyeama. Skippership moved from Seyi Ogunsanya to Romania Orjinta or Abu Musa.
Owoblow is sad that after the Enyimba heroics in 2003 and again in 2004, nothing good has come out from the Nigerian League.
“The local league is dead. Poor officiating is one huge problem and because the league is bad, teams representing us at the continental level don’t get anywhere in the various CAF competitions.
“Those manning our league as well as the clubs have little or no idea of how to run clubs. The football authority has no sense of direction. Ordinarily, the Eagles should have played against Ghana in Uyo or Lagos. Who was in charge of the match? Why Abuja, why give out 20,000 tickets to people to watch the match?”, he questioned.
Owolabi also condemned the idea of electing officials to run Nigerian soccer.
He said: “I can tell you that Nigeria does not need a board, by election to run the affairs of our sports otherwise when members get there, it will be about running to make money. And this is exactly what is happening.
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“In a decent and ideal situation, a foundation is constructed for the system to be run. From that realm, they pick who will who will lead and serve them just like the university structure and the National Sports Commission of those days. Tell me, who among the NFA members and their chairman has a history of football.”
According to the the veteran, the game has been so politicised that it will e difficult to achieve desired results.
“Look at some of the officials and you will agree with me that they were sponsored by either their states or they have connections with their state governors. Some are even their in-laws who sponsored them with dollars.
“In such a scenario my dear brother, I will never in my life get closer to their football matter because I know it is just a matter of time. Ask Davidson Owumi what I told him in Abuja in 2010 about what I saw of our sports in 2021 and now. I want you to ask him.”
Enyeama was capped 101 times as a Super Eagle and was the most consistent keeper after Emmanuel Okala who served between 1972 and 1980. Enyeama spent 13 years in the camp, from 2002 to 2015.
He rose from Ibom Stars to Enyimba and Iwuanyanwu. Outside Nigeria, Enyeama was in Israel with Bnei Yehuda, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv, respectively. The big one came in France with Lille.
Enyeama was voted Man of the Match after Argentina, managed by Diego Maradona defeated Nigeria 1-0 at the South Africa 2010 World Cup. Lionel Messi could not but shake hands with him after the match for a job well done.