The Moment<\/a> (London)<\/p>\nOladipo Okubanjo<\/p>\n
30 December 2011<\/p>\n
\nOUT of favor Super Eagles striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, may have provided the tonic needed by home-based professionals to cement their place in the Nigerian senior national team.<\/p>\n
Yakubu, who has been shut out of the Super Eagles since the 2010 World Cup but has proved to be a lethal striker for Blackburn Rovers this season, said players who ply their trade in Nigeria only have to show determination and eschew complex to realise their ambition.<\/p>\n
Yakubu, according to Press Officer to the Super Eagles, Ben Alaiya, made this declaration through the team’s psychologist, Robinson Okosun.<\/p>\n
‘Almost all the super stars of the national team of today started their trade in the local league and were also called to camp before their international break-through,’ said Yakubu.<\/p>\n
The former Julius Berger of Lagos player added: ‘The players must be determined and focused, because I know that if they impress Coach Stephen Keshi well, he would surely feature them without any bias, because he’s a coach I know very well.’<\/p>\n
Not less than 30 players drawn from the Nigeria Premier League are currently in the Super Eagles camp in Abuja building up to next year’s qualifying campaign for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.<\/p>\n
Yakubu commended the Nigeria Football Federation and the coaching crew for initiating the idea of bringing up the local stars, saying it would bring competition to the fight for shirts in the national camp, which will positively impact the fortunes of the team.<\/p>\n
On whether he deserves a recall to the national team, Yakubu said the decision was up to the technical crew, adding that they know the current form of all top Nigerian players, and that should form the basis of their invitation to the national team.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, less than two weeks after a similar incident, another stray player on Thursday morning invaded the training session if the national team at the practice pitch of the National Stadium in Abuja.<\/p>\n
The invader, named Collins Kolade, pleaded to be allowed to train with the national team.<\/p>\n
Unlike, the first stray player, who claimed to come from Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, ‘Kolade,’ according to Alaiya, ‘said he was from Maraba in the Federal capital and also claimed to be a former player of Kwara United of Ilorin, flaunting a fake ID card of the club and claimed a certain Coach Gbenga, asked him to come and meet Eagles boss, Stephen Keshi, for training and inclusion into the national team.’<\/p>\n
Kolade, Alaiya revealed, appeared to be mentally unbalanced when drilled by Team Security Head ACP Gideon Akinsola, Psychologist Dr. Robinson Okosun and Secretary Dayo Enebi.<\/p>\n
‘When asked the number of years he played for Kwara United, he said it was between 2007 and 2009. What has he been doing since then? His sharp reply was ‘I’m nowhere to be found’, which sent the ‘interview’ panel reeling with laughter.<\/p>\n
Kolade was led away by Akinsola’s men after his details have been taken.<\/p>\n
AllAfrica – All the Time<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n