Obafemi and Eagles’
Herod
By BEN MEMULETIWON
Friday, July 16, 2004
Nigeria’s sensational soccer referee, Callistus Chukwujekwu,
takes a philosophical look at the new Super Eagles and concludes
that Inter Milan whizz kid, Obafemi Martins, has an uphill
task to survive the Herods in the team.
Reacting to Portsmouth striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s refutal
that nobody played the teenage star out of the Nigeria-Algeria
match, Chukwujekwu declared that such cock-and-bull stories
are better told to the marines.
"It’s natural that Obafemi is treated that way,"
Chukwujekwu said. "It’s like the case of Jesus
Christ and King Herod.
"While the king was away because of what happened in
Tunisia, another king was born. Obafemi became a hero in Aiyegbeni’s
absence, he scored three goals and that made him the new hero.
"So, for the old king not to lose his prime position,
something must happen to the new king. Herod had to kill all
the babies born at about the same time Christ was born. So,
Obafemi must not take the shine away from them."
But CC, as Chukwujekwu is fondly called, places the blame
on the head of Coach Christian Chukwu, whom he claimed did
not employ element of psychology before unleashing the duo
against Algeria.
He said: "Chukwu should have prepared the minds of the
players before pairing them. He should have psyched them up
and made them to realise that they are working towards the
same goal. But Chukwu did not do that. Rather, he removed
Obafemi, leaving Aiyegbeni who looked tired.
"Of course, you could see that the crowd was not happy;
Obafemi was not happy too. And when Julius Aghahowa came in
you could see the chemistry between him and Aiyegbeni.
"It’s either Chukwu nips this ugly development
in the bud now, or we are faced with the Ruud van Nistelrooy/Patrick
Kluivert saga in Holland."
Chukwujekwu really didn’t want his views on the Aiyegbeni/Obafemi
issue published because "when I talk, they’ll say
I’ve started again. They will misconstrue my views."
But as a reporter, news is news. And CC had just given me
a good one at the Hotel Ibis in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Even at the risk of not having another chance with CC, I have
to report what he has said because they are germane to soccer
growth in Nigeria.
In his usual frankness, the Nigerian referee said the job
of who pilots the Eagles is beyond the indigenous coaches;
not even Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, or Shuaibu Amodu could
cope.
"If you ask me, I’ll say Nigeria needs a foreign
coach," he said. "We need a coach who can match
the superstars in Eagles dollar-for-dollar; a coach that will
instill discipline in camp.
"Ordinarily, the players will tell you they respect Chukwu
but if they really respect him they will be in camp when he
needs them. They can’t practice what they’re doing
to Chukwu with any white coach."
In Chukwujekwu’s opinion, the problem with Nigeria’s
soccer is systemic and it will take a drastic measure from
the top to clean the Augean stables.
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