In a piece titled: 'SA 2013: Now That We've Qualified...' which was published last month, I took time out to appeal to football officials as regards their utterances, especially in the wake of the Super Eagles qualification for the Nations Cup finals in South Africa next January.
However, it is clear from recent happenings over the past few days that they (officials) are not ready to heed this advice and are keeping to true to type making statements that often leave them with mud on their faces.
What I'm alluding too are the recent statements attributed to none other than Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi as regards one of the nation's most senior players, Osaze Odemwingie.
Late last week the nation's longest serving national team captain dropped a bombshell of sorts when he announced to the world that the West Brom striker had turned his back on the Super Eagles.
These are some of the things Keshi said: "I spoke to Osaze before the Liberia game and he told me that he had decided not to play for Nigeria anymore."
Keshi, who was speaking with supersports.com, further said: "Osaze told me that he has no problems with me as a person and that he took his decision even before I assumed position as national team coach.
"He said he was unhappy at how he was treated in the past in the national team. He explained that prior to Nigeria's participation at the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he played in all the qualifying games but was dropped at the finals."
"He said he was angry at the treatment meted out to him but did not discuss it with anyone. I told him that was not the best way to handle issues and that if he had already decided not to play for the national team, he should have opened up to me when I invited him to play," Keshi said.
Keshi went further to say: "I told him that if the (Nigeria) coach (at the 2010 World Cup) benched him, he must have a reason for doing so and that things should have been handled differently.
"I told him that he should have spoken up and let me know. The coach has a reason and you can't play in every game," he said.
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