Ex-FA man defends Aiyegbeni

Following the unreserved condemnation of Nigerian Middlesbrough FC attacker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni over his brush with Super Eagles head coach and subsequent refusal to feature for the country at the EGYPT 2006 Nations Cup, a former NFA staff has come down heavily on such critics and their crucifixation of the player.

The staff, Austin Mgbolu, who was the former Media Officer/Potocol Head of the Nigerian FA, told nigeriasports.com in our Lagos head offices that, the action of the player, Aiyegbeni to shun the national call was justified; though, he quickly added: "the nation comes first."

He described as unfair and cruel, the treatment metted out to the player, when last he came answering the national call.

"The truth was that, it was obvious; the comments made by the technical crew, some members of the FA Board and some other Nigerians at that particular point in time, tended to undermine whatever he contributed.

"Don't forget that, he was one of the early callers then to report to camp; but even at that, he was not reckoned with and it was made obvious that, if everybody played, Aiyegbeni was not going to get a shirt... and that was what happened.

"Nobody was prepared to explain what went wrong to him. He was treated more or less, like a barrier, so obviously, he had to rebel against the country; but then, that is not the best solution in situations like this.

"I largely believe that reasons would prevail to enable him retrace his steps and come back into the national team. Afterall, he had been working with Coach Eguavoen previously and I don't think that, this is the time for them to part ways.

"So those, who are kicking against his decision, should put themselves in his shoes and feel how it pinches,"the former NFA voice narrated.