Chris Maduewesi
Member
Former Super Eagles defender Taribo West has blamed Nigeria's football woes on the curses from aggrieved ex-internationals.
Taribo who represented Nigeria at two World Cup tournaments in 1998 and 2002, noted that the ordeals former Nigerian internationals went through made them vent expletives on the national team.
In an interview with the Punch Newspaper, the former Inter and AC Milan player recounted how some former players were badly treated by the country they toiled hard for.
“Administrators in the past committed a lot of atrocities against Eagles players and in anger these players cursed the team. Stephen Keshi led the Eagles to win the AFCON title two years ago through the grace of God. We all saw the problems the team encountered before winning the trophy in South Africa,” Taribo said.
“Imagine a nation you serve, you get injured and nobody cares; they dump you. Look at the way a player like (Rashidi) Yekini served the team and died. It shouldn’t have been. Somebody needs to go to his family and compensate them. (Sunday) Eboigbe has been paralysed for years and nobody has gone to see him. Will you say such a man, who gave his best for his country, shouldn’t curse his country?”
Taribo even suggested that the present Super Eagle's defence could be suffering as a repercussion of the way he was maltreated and eased out of the national team.
“I have forgiven them but look at the way I was sent packing from the national team. I spoke for the young players in the team, who didn’t have a voice and they banned me.Why won’t I be aggrieved? Since then they (Eagles) haven’t had a good defence,” the no-nonsense ex-player said.
Taribo who represented Nigeria at two World Cup tournaments in 1998 and 2002, noted that the ordeals former Nigerian internationals went through made them vent expletives on the national team.
In an interview with the Punch Newspaper, the former Inter and AC Milan player recounted how some former players were badly treated by the country they toiled hard for.
“Administrators in the past committed a lot of atrocities against Eagles players and in anger these players cursed the team. Stephen Keshi led the Eagles to win the AFCON title two years ago through the grace of God. We all saw the problems the team encountered before winning the trophy in South Africa,” Taribo said.
“Imagine a nation you serve, you get injured and nobody cares; they dump you. Look at the way a player like (Rashidi) Yekini served the team and died. It shouldn’t have been. Somebody needs to go to his family and compensate them. (Sunday) Eboigbe has been paralysed for years and nobody has gone to see him. Will you say such a man, who gave his best for his country, shouldn’t curse his country?”
Taribo even suggested that the present Super Eagle's defence could be suffering as a repercussion of the way he was maltreated and eased out of the national team.
“I have forgiven them but look at the way I was sent packing from the national team. I spoke for the young players in the team, who didn’t have a voice and they banned me.Why won’t I be aggrieved? Since then they (Eagles) haven’t had a good defence,” the no-nonsense ex-player said.