Emenike Blasts Keshi and NFF

By Segun Olushola

• Emmanuel Emenike

Nigeria’s hero at the just concluded African Cup of Nations Emmanuel Emenike has expressed his dissatisfaction with the way and manner Stephen Keshi and the Nigerian Football Federation has abandoned him after his injury while playing for Nigeria in South Africa.

Emenike was one of AFCON 2013 highest goal scorer and also one of the key men for the Nigerian team in making the country secure her nineteenth continental silverware but suffered a   hamstring injury against Mali during the tournament which has already sidelined him since the end of the competition and has been left out of next weekend's World Cup qualifier at home against Kenya.

In a reaction to the development, Emenike said he is disgusted not to have received even a phone call from Keshi or any official from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) since he rejoined his Russian club Spartak Moscow.

"I must be honest with you, I have not been treated well by the coach and the NFF because they ignored me so soon, so fast," he lamented.

"Nobody from NFF and the coach have called to ask me about my injury. I am bitter about this. It is unfair and I can tell you that is why some players don't come to give their best for the national team."

"When a player gets injured on national duty, I think the country's football authority and coach ought to keep in touch to let him know he is loved and cared for.

"I am not a use-and-dump player. I will not act as one at all because my club career is very much important to me than anything."

He also explained that he now understands why some players will not want to give their all to the national team because when they curb an injury, the get abandoned citing the case of Victor Anichebe.

"Look at a player like (Victor) Anichebe (Everton striker was injured while on national team duty last year), no one cared about him and you think he will come to national team to give his best.

"I am not worried about that but I just need to tell them it's unfair. It is not everything that is money, but a call just to show you care could change someone's problem at a particular time."

This reaction will not be the first outburst among players as this has become an issue in the Nigerian football setup where players are used and abandoned after giving their all for their father’s land.