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Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has said that he is disturbed by the ‘assassination’ of his person, following allegation by goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama that he insulted his late mother at the team’s camp in Belgium. Enyeama ditched the Super Eagles in Belgium, quitting his international career, following a disagreement between him and the coach. Among other things, Enyeama alleged that the coach ordered security men to throw him out of the team’s camp, adding that he was stripped. But Oliseh told newsmen yesterday that Enyeama lied against him just to tarnish his image.

“I am deeply saddened, troubled and profoundly hurt by the assassination of my person as Vincent Enyeama has done over the past two days,” Oliseh said. “Me insulting his mother? These allegations are unheard of. When I was appointed chief coach of the Super Eagles, I drove to Lille to see Vincent, took him to lunch and discussed how we wanted to move forward with him as my captain. I shared my philosophy with him and he made a statement I didn’t like. He said he was going to retire in a year or two, and I told him I wouldn’t hear of it as he was the captain because we were thinking of taking the team to the 2017 AFCON and 2018 World Cup. But we can’t build a team with you as captain if you are retiring in 2017.

 “Two weeks ago before the camp started, he told us about his mother’s burial, but I couldn’t go and there was an arrangement with the President who assured me he would be there on behalf of the NFF and team. But he started talking about retirement, so at that moment I felt we needed someone else as captain. It had nothing to do with hurting anybody. We started camp on Monday, and to my greatest surprise, Mikel Obi and Ighalo came in on Sunday night. We had invited four goalkeepers and he told us he had to bury his mother. So, obviously, he couldn’t report to camp early until Tuesday, just about the time we were rounding up. He drove into training ground.

The boys did not train well that afternoon, and later at dinner, I told them I was not happy and demanded more from them. Only for Vincent to stand up insisting on saying something, but I told him to see me about it later. He refused and as side talks persisted, I called him to order, but he started raising his voice. I told him we couldn’t have two coaches in the team and that he had to retire to his room. His colleagues got up and escorted him out of the hall. Two of his colleagues, Ahmed Musa and Mikel Obi, came in later to plead on his behalf and we left it there. Only for issues to start popping up on social media alleging we insulted him and his late mother,” stated Oliseh. He concluded by saying "God is my witness, I never insulted his mother."