National Team Blackout For Ekwueme
THE international career of Ifeanyi Ekwueme has been put on hold until he has found another club after his contract in Poland was cancelled in the summer.
Top NFA officials have put it very clearly to Super Eagles coach Christian Chukwu that Ekwueme is out of the team until he is back playing after contractual problems forced him out of Polish club Wisla Plock.
"Chukwu was told in very clear terms that he should consider himself sacked should he again call up Ekwueme when the whole world knows he is not playing for his club because of the problems he has with them and also because the player has failed to impress in recent matches particularly the Gabon match in Libreville where he was clearly unfit and out of place in the team," a top source told www.kickoffnigeria.com. "He's not an Eagles material," the source said.
Chukwu has since complied with this directive from the top by leaving out the left-sided midfielder for the forthcoming friendly against Bafana Bafana of South Africa.
Before now, Ekwueme has surprisingly been one of the ever presents in the country's campaign for the 2006 World Cup and African Nations Cup, featuring in all five matches thus far, and this was despite the fact that his club terminated his contract in the summer after he again overstayed his holidays.
The former Jasper United star has said he hopes to move to England as a free player when the European transfer window opens in January and this would be very possible as he has with the help of Chukwu achieved over 75% international appearances for Nigeria within the last 24 months.
"Ekwueme is one case that clearly shows that a lot of sentiments are brought into play by the coaches when picking players for the national team," another source told www.kickoffnigeria.com.
Clubless Isaac Okoronkwo was also part of the squad for the World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe in Harare but NFA secretary-general Taiwo Ogunjobi ordered Chukwu not to start him in the crucial Group 4 match, which the Eagles eventually won 3-0.
