Stephen Keshi’s assistant Daniel Amokachi and Valere Houdonou have hit out at Chinedu Obasi after he claimed he was denied a spot in the 2014 World Cup because he allegedly refused to pay a bribe.
The forward was a regular for Schalke 04 in the 2013-14 season, making 15 appearances in the German Bundesliga, amid other dazzling displays.
The striker, who starred for Nigeria in the 2010 World Cup was, however, left out of the Super Eagles squad for the global tournament in Brazil and revealed he was shut out of the team because he refused to 'grease someone's palm'.
Amokachi, who was the right-hand man of former Super Eagles coach Keshi, neither denied the claims nor admitted it but slammed the forward for bringing up the case after the death of the manager in charge.
“Why come forward with such now when the man in charge is no longer alive to answer it?” Amokachi told the Cable.
“Even look at it, this happened in 2014 and six years after you are coming forward with such claims? Why wait until now? It doesn’t make sense to bring such an issue when the head is no longer alive to respond to you?
“I am not saying such things don’t happen. Up until tomorrow, this thing does happen in African football but for us to have a change, when such happens, come forward with such. Be the sacrifice so as to prevent others from going through the experience.
“It is not about one person, it’s a revolution, a change, that if we start, it will change a lot of things in our football.
“This issue of bribe-taking or collecting in our football is not a one-way thing. Agents of players will come and meet a coach to offer money for their players to be taken.
“It’s a two-way thing. Sometimes, players are the ones that will even go to the coach to say my agent said he will pay for me to be part of the team.
“You will also see some administrators and coaches who have turned agents that will try to be influencing things from the side.”
On his part, second assistant to Keshi, Houdonou claims Obasi did not merit a place in the squad given the array of stars available, although they could only manage to reach the second round of the tournament.
“The question is, who could he have replaced among the strikers then?” Houdonou said.
“He was invited like every other potential player that could make the World Cup then because the coaching crew wanted to take the best to Brazil then.
“He failed to make the list because he could not displace anyone in the team.”
Obasi, who has 26 caps for the Super Eagles, last played for the three-time African champions in 2011 against Argentina.
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