Impressive Nigerian Midfielder Reveals What a Foreign Coach Told Him do to Avoid Super Eagles Call-Up

• John Ogu is not happy with the whole drama as several European clubs are reluctant to release players for AFCON tournament
• The Nigerian midfielder has narrated how he was advised to fake an injury just to avoid being called up for a national engagement
• Ogu believes African players, as well as the AFCON tournament, are widely disrespected, saying he once raised alarm

Nigerian midfielder John Ogu has reacted to the trending topic as regards the lack of respect for African players, as well as the AFCON tournament, Complete Sports reports.

The 33-year-old disclosed how a manager at his former club in Portugal, Académica, requested that he fakes injury to avoid being called up into the national team.

This is coming against the backdrop of a number of European clubs’ threat not to release African stars for the forthcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

John Ogu narrates personal ordeal

Super Eagles Handler Augustine Eguavoen Names the Number of New Players He Will Invite for AFCON

Football

Ogu took to Twitter to lament the situation and narrated his own ordeal, how he was told to lie that he was injured to avoid an international friendly.

He wrote:

“I’m not even surprised at the situation of the foreign managers or clubs not wanting their players to go represent their country in tournaments.

“One certain manager in Portugal asked [that] I tell the coach of Eagles then that I was injured so as not to go for a friendly game.

“After I left, went back to the club, he stopped playing me, and this was prior to the World Cup coming that year.

“I made mention of it here and many out here said I was lying and so on. Una don see how them be now?”

Osimhen, Dennis dropped from Nigeria’s squad to AFCON

Meanwhile, having tested positive for Covid-19, impressive striker Victor Osimhen will not be part of the Super Eagles' squad to the Africa Cup of Nations.

CAF, FIFA under attack on social media as uncertainty grows over Afcon 2021

Football

Also, Abdullahi Shehu injury has forced Augustine Eguavoen to make a number of changes to the continental showpiece billed to start on January 9. According to the Nigeria Football Federation, there is no problem with the goalkeeping position, as Tyrone Ebuehi has been called to replace Shehu.

Premier League club Watford earlier threatened not to release Emmanuel Dennis, and now the impressive striker has been excused and replaced by Czech Republic-based forward, Peter Olayinka.

Anthonu Baffoe reveals what AFCON is to Africans

Sports Brief earlier reported that former German-born Ghana Black Stars midfielder, Anthony Baffoe has said the African Cup of Nations, AFCON, is to Africans what the FIFA world cup is to the world.

The 56-year-old noted that as a participant of the African football biggest international competition himself, it was an honor and a great pleasure playing in two editions of the tournament.

The former Fortuna Düsseldorf midfielder joined the recent trend of football figure around the world calling for more respect of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) bi-annual competition.