Former coach of the Nigeria U17 team Emmanuel Amuneke has reacted to the video, where he was alleged to have picked Egyptian forward Mohammed Salah ahead of Victor Osimhen in the vote for the Africa footballer of the year.
Amuneke who is highly favoured to be the next coach of the senior national team of Nigeria in the event that present coach Jose Peseiro leaves his role was seen in a video backing Salah to win the award ahead of eventual winner Osimhen.
Referenced by Osimhen in his speech after clinching the award, Amuneke said the discussion was centred around picking one of the duo of Salah or Achraf Hakimi since it’s clear that he will pick Osimhen, a lad he coached to prominence with the U17 team of Nigeria in 2015.
He cleared the air in a WhatsApp group called Sports Village Square, which is moderated by foremost Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwuna.
Below is what he said.
“Good morning house, I want to use this opportunity to clear what some of you are saying in this platform. With all due respect to every one of you that I owe with high regard.
First of all, I want you to understand the rumours that you guys are [spreading] concerning me not voting Osimhen. I was never elected to vote.
On our way to the novelty game that we played in Marrakech here, a former player and captain of the Egyptian national team – who is preparing himself to become a TV producer in Egypt – with his group, he was debating on the Arabian team and he raised the question between Hakimi and Salah.
There was no time Osimhen was mentioned in that discussion. He came to me and asked ‘Hakimi or Salah’. I have to say Salah. And the reason why I said Salah was because I played in Egypt and I lived in Egypt and I know some of the guys there.
So, there is nothing like voting against Osimhen. Osimhen is our player and our boy. We are happy about what he has achieved and we hope he would continue to dream and achieve more for the betterment of his career and the betterment of Nigeria.
It has come a time in our culture in Nigeria – with all due respect to you guys, we should stop spreading false news and stop creating false impression to the people. We are journalists and our responsibility is to inform the public what is right.”
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman