Ex-Nigeria attacker Obasi in 2014 World Cup bribe claim

Former Nigeria striker Chinedu Obasi alleged on Sunday he was requested to pay a bribe to characteristic on the 2014 World Cup, earlier than ultimately lacking out on choice.

Obasi, 33, who has been a free agent since leaving Swedish outfit AIK in January, made his final Super Eagles look in 2011 and had membership spells in Germany with Hoffenheim and Schalke.

“I was supposed to be at the World Cup in 2014, I was playing with Schalke in the Champions League everything was going fine. At the end of the season, I was given an invitation for the World Cup preparations for friendlies in South Africa,” Obasi mentioned on social media.

“So, two days before the list came out, I was asked to pay some money if I wanted to be in the team,” he added.

Obasi, who gained a silver medal on the Beijing 2008 Olympics and performed on the 2010 World Cup, mentioned a transfer away from the Bundesliga fell via after lacking the event 4 years later.

“I felt like I’ve paid my dues for the country, if you’re a new player, I can get that but for me, it was a bit personal and very heart-breaking because I got injured – I was supposed to move from Hoffenheim to England,” he mentioned.

“And it takes a lot of dedication, it takes a lot of money and it takes a lot of investment in myself and my body. I went through surgery and did everything I could.” However, one in all Nigeria’s assistant coaches on the World Cup six years in the past, Valere Houdonou, maintained Obasi was not ok to make the ultimate squad dealing with competitors from the likes of Peter Odemwingie and Ahmed Musa.

“The question is, who could he have replaced among the strikers then?” Houdonou mentioned.

“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,” he added.

‘Two-way thing’

Daniel Amokachi, who was additionally assistant coach on the World Cup in Brazil, took exception to Obasi’s allegations significantly after head coach Stephen Keshi died in 2016, insisting the gamers are additionally responsible.

“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,” mentioned the ex-Everton striker, who featured on the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.

“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’,” he mentioned.

“You will also see some administrators and coaches who have turned agents that will try to be influencing things from the side,” he added.

Nigeria’s anti-corruption businesses are investigating senior officers of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by president Amaju Pinnick after “weighty” allegations had been leveled in opposition to them.