The recent axing of 16 players from the 30 players called up to the Nigeria U23 team on the grounds of age falsification has exposed the weak defence put up by the assistant coach of the team Kennedy Boboye after a report on OGN.
Boboye without reaching out went ahead to grant an interview to a Nigerian website conducted by Shina Oludare terming what was supposed to alert the technical crew on what has now affected their preparation as a distraction. He went as far as terming it as malicious.
“We [the technical crew] were stunned reading the news, and I must state here that the report is malicious,” Boboye told Soccernet.ng.
“That story should not be taken seriously because it is a ploy to distract the team ahead of the all-important match against the Guineans.
“I have spoken to coach Salisu about this, and we have agreed that it will not derail our target of getting the U23 Afcon ticket.
“We [members of the coaching crew] are solidly behind him; if he succeeds, we are a part of it, and if the reverse happens, we will all take responsibility.
“I am bold to inform you that the players called up are within the required bracket, and those we believe will get the job done”, he rounded up saying but alas he lied.
The camp is now having just 14 players left with 16 of the invited players for the game in less than ten days time having issues with their documents. Again it questions Boboye’s suitability for the role of assistant to Salisu Yusuf if he can tell a lie without even thinking twice.
As picked up by our editorial team, it isn’t the first time that the former Plateau United, Akwa United and Shooting Stars coach has been involved in trying to bring players above the age limit to the U23 team.
His attempt to get Sikiru Alimi to play for the U23 was openly rebuffed by the player when he sent him a Twitter post asking for the age on his passport. It was in the build up to the qualifiers for the U23 Africa Cup of Nations. That report went viral on social media platform Nairaland and made it way to Opera News Platform.
Going by his antecedent, his decision to speak against what the present NFF preached against with the U20 team and made the coach to drop seven regulars.
Going forward it’s only normal that Boboye shuts up and say no more.
Mohammed Mowiz