The bid to return to the Flying Eagles by dashing midfielder, Ikechukwu Okemmiri last
week Friday caused a stir as their were mixed reactions from various quarters with regards
to the players relevance to the team.
Okemmiri stormed the Chida Hotel camp of the National U20 team on Thursday evening straight from his new base in Cyprus with hopes of joining the team whoch he was a prominent member of before he went abroad in search of greener pastures but was directed by Coach Ladan Bosso to write an apology letter to The NFA Chairman for abandoning the team before the AYC in Congo before he could be allowed to rejoin the team.
Coach Godwin Uwua, who led the team to the AYC allegedly told the FA boss who inquired about the mecurial nmidfielder cum schemer who won the MVP award in the AYC qualifiers against Gabon in Abuja nd Rwanda in Abeokuta,and who was nicknamed El-Rufai by Abuja fans because of the way he demolished opposing defenses in the Super Four last year while playing for Nasarawa Utd enroute to winning two MVPs in the 2matches he started that Okemmiri refused to travel with the team to Congo but instead sturbornly opted out to travel abroad against orders.
However, Okemmiri revealed that he had an offer for a week's trial abroad a full month to the AYC and was to return in time for the tour of Cotonou before the AYC, but after coach Uwua agreed to release him for the trials, the coach now demanded gratification from his agent. The agent and the club agreed to comply, but the coach insisted it be given before the player travelled out, and the agent said it was not possible, as apart from the videos they had seen, the club had to see the player physically, and he had to pass medical tests before a deal could be done. This led to a deadlock in negotiations for his release and after his plea to the coach not to scuttle his ambitions fell on deaf ears, he had no option than to demand for hir passport, after which the Coach flared up and stopped him feeding in the team and asked him to take his passport and not to return to the team.
Shedding further light on events that led to Okemmiri's face off with coach Uwua, Okemmiri's Nigerian agent and sports lawyer, Ogbah Nkwachukwu JP, confirmed all these saying he was the go between in negotiations with the coach. However, the coach painted the player negatively before the FA Chairman, Alhaji Sani Lulu and blamed his poor outing at the AYC on the teen terror's absence.
Because of this, Lulu had a negative impression of Okemmiri, and all efforts by Okemmiri to tell his true story to Lulu fell on deaf ears as the Chairman termed him indisciplined and swore not to allow him into the team.
When Okemmiri hit the U20 camp last week, his team mates were very happy to see him, but were sad when the FA Chairman refused him to rejoin the team. Some of them who were in the team before the AYC and who knew the true story tried to plead on his behalf all to no avail. As the team prepares to jet out to Germany for the training tour without one of its finest players, Okemmiri continues training personally in Abuja so as to keep fit enough to return to his club, APOEL FC who will feature in the UEFA Champions League next season.
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