29 December 2011
After watching his super display in the two friendlies he has played so far for the national team, Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi was lost for words when he learnt that one of the players who shone in the friendlies was actually one of those dropped from the ill-fated U23 team that failed to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics during the Moroccan play-off.
When told by Assistant Coach, Daniel Amokachi, that the player was dropped from the U23 squad, Keshi was furious and had to send team curator, Chidi Ngoka, to go and fetch the player to authenticate the fact.
Papa was to confirm the report to Keshi, after which the former Anderletch of Belgium star watched in disbelief.
Keshi, was in Morocco, to offer technical assistance to former international colleague, Austin Eguavoen, and said then that the team lacked quality players.
“So if we drop a player of the quality of Papa how can the team do well,” he asked nobody in particular.
The Kaduna United central defender has become one of the mainstays of the national team just after spending two nights in camp.
Papa drew applause from team’s technical, with names like ‘General’, ‘Commander’, ‘Mr Perfect’, etc being ascribed to him.
AllAfrica – All the Time