Fenerbahce/Super Eagles striker, Emmanuel Emenike has mandated his family members to give out 900 bags of rice (worth N8.5million) to some local government areas in Imo and Anambra states for the Christmas season.
Interestingly, that’s the Big boss as fondly called’s first apology in his career.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Emenike and Mikel Obi blamed their dismal performance on the pitch.
“When you shoot it goes the wrong direction.” He added.
Credit: Oluwashina Okeleji
“I have always treated Keshi like a father, and he has always lived in my heart to be a good father. Before now, we have been enjoying a smooth relationship and I see no reason why he should be holding grudges against me.
“My performance at the competition was inspired by Keshi. He showed me love, he put me through and I always respected his decisions. I never thought that I am bigger than any coaches. Everything changed after the Nations Cup, everything about him towards me changed and I decided to stay on my own.
He continued, “But I am very surprised by what he said that he and some players in the Eagles are not happy with me. Over what. I don’t want Nigerians to see me as being proud or arrogant, but if the coach thought inviting me to his team will not bring result or peace to the team, he can let me be. I have maintained a solid relationship to avoid quarreling with him, but if my invitation to play for Nigeria does not stand for peace, I will like to stay focused with my club. I have always loved to give my best for Nigeria and I always make it known that I can always fight to score goals for my country and I will not like coach Keshi to let Nigerians see me as an undisciplined player who is not ready to give them my best again.
He added. “My Super Eagles career is as important as my club career. Coming to play for Nigeria was the biggest decision I have ever made in my life. And I appreciate the way the fans have been striving hard to cheer me up whenever I push for goal. I have never seen the Super Eagles camp as my father’s house, it’s a temporary place for everybody, and why should we be making problems for ourselves? he asked.
“As a matter of fact, I have no grudges with anybody in the team. I see everybody as my friend, I tried not to distinguish myself from any other player, as far as we have come to serve our country, we are equal. If Keshi thought inviting me is a problem to his selection or the team, I will prefer to stay back and maintain my big respect for him.
“The bottom line is that I don’t have problems with Keshi and I don’t have problems with him putting me on the bench. I am not bothered if he chose not to play me in a match and the fact remains that he made me in the Eagles and I will always give him his deserved respect anytime.”
Chelsea FC midfielder scooped two awards at the maiden edition of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, which took place at the Pearl Hall of Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar on Saturday 16th November, 2013. The ex-PSG player won Best Midfielder and King of Pitch (Player of the Year), prominent female footballer, Perpetua Nkwocha, also clinched the Queen of Pitch award.
No member of Super Eagles team (coach and players) were present at the occasion, despite being lodged in the same hotel where the event took place. Shina Phillip, co-ordinator of the awards couldn’t help but voice out his disappointment, “Our players need to be schooled about how to be socially responsible. I don’t hold anything against them because I want to adduce their attitude to the fact that they needed rest ahead of their trip to London for the engagement against Italy. But even at that, a five minute appearance would have been enough for them.”
Governor Liyel Imoke however commended the team for their groundbreaking feats. “It is a long time that our country, our people have had so much to celebrate within a short span of time. We have just won the FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy only eight days after lifting the FIFA U-17 World Cup to set a global record. In fact, the successes have piled up so high that we are almost forgetting that it is in this same year that we won the Africa Cup of Nations.”
WINNERS
(1) Stephen Keshi (Coach of the Year)
(2) Vincent Enyeama (Goal keeper of the Year)
(3) Emmanuel Emenike (Striker of the Year)
(4) Jelili Ogunmuyiwa (Referee of the Year)
(5) Godfrey Oboabona (Defender of the Year)
(6) John Shittu (Players’ Agent of the Year)
(7) Kano Pillars (Club of the Year)
(8) Ade Ojeikere (Journalist of the Year – Print)
(9) Bimbo Adeola (Journalist of the Year – Radio)
(10) Toyin Ibitoye (Journalist of the Year – TV)
(11) Lagos State (Best Grassroots Development Programme).
(12) Felix Anyansi (Manager of the Year- Eyimba Club)
(13) Football-friendly Governor of the Year (Governor Liyel Imoke)
(14) Etubom Paul Bassey (CAF General Coordinator- Special Recognition award)
(15) Jay Jay Okocha ( NFF Technical and Development Committee member- Special Recognition award)
Emmanuel Emenike, Super Eagles forward has for the third consecutive time become Spartak Moscow, his current club’s best player of November 2011.
It would be recalled that he won the same award in September and October, the former fenerbhace player got huge support of fans who voted massively for him on the club’s official website, a total of 47.01% of votes were accorded to him while goal keeper Andriy Dikan and Dmitry Kombarov got 16.5% and 14.22% respectively.
Shuaibu also explained that sacking the ex-coach is not the end of the nation's football woes adding that SiaSia was just a victim of the system he worked for.
Though it was clearly stated in his contract that he had to qualify the country in the 2012 African Cup of Nations, Shuaibu explained that there is something wrong with the technical committee of Nigeria football federation, according to him, the most important job of the committee is to sit down with national team coaches and discuss their match plans, team formation&players to be used, "Nigerians have to understand that if the coach fails the committee has failed too. The technical committee lacks a sound qualified head. It is difficult to believe that Osaze Odemwingie who scores from 25yards when playing for his team and Emmanuel Emenike could not score from 6 yards in a match as vital as that. The kind of goals they failed to score in that match was inexplicable." He concluded.