Former Nigerian professional footballer Michael Eneramo has revealed why he is not happy to play for Nigeria because he had no chance in the Super Eagles team again.
The 34-year-old talk tough that if he had knew is better to accepted Tunisia offer than to play for Nigeria with 11 appearance and no chance coming again.
The Score Nigeria recall the Michael Eneramo left heart broken when he was dropped in 2010, ‘I’m not happy that after playing for Nigeria that I’m getting no chance at all again, because I had the chance to play for Tunisia’.
Career, Tunisia/Nigeria FA tussle
Eneramo started his professional footbal career with Yobe Desert Star and in 2003 moved to Lobi Stars of Makurdi.
The Nigerian who joined Esperance of Tunisia in 2004 became a fan favorite as he was a man in form for the club. He was called the jewel and Tunisia Football Federation (TFF) wanted him desperately to play for them, especially as was South Africa 2010 World Cup qualifiers was around.
The former Lobi Stars of Makurdi striker was about to pick up a Tunisian citizenship having spent five years in Tunis and no international cap to his name, that would make him eligible to play for the Carthage Eagles.
That move was thwarted as late Shuaibu Amodu who replaced Berti Vogts after the Super Eagles quarter-final exit at the AFCON 2008 in Ghana sent him an invitation.
Big honor for him (Eneramo), as it was every player’s joy to play for his country but little did he know he would be used and dumped by then Sani Lulu led Nigeria Football Association (NFA).
News of Eneramo’s Super Eagles invitation didn’t go down well with the Tunisian sporting media who blamed the TFF for being too slow to act on Eneramo’s citizenship, and that they didn’t convince him enough.
Eneramo was called up for the tune-up game against Jamaica in London and only featured for five minutes. In his second game, he scored the opening goal in the 1-1 draw against the Republic of Ireland.
AFCON 2010 Snub
The striker who made 11 appearances for Nigeria did not get to play again since September 2010. Despite taking part in the AFCON 2010 qualifiers and made Amodu’s preliminary list for the continent biggest football fiesta in Angola, the striker was dropped at the Eagles hotel.
Eneramo was unaware that he had been dropped, he was still feeling among as nobody had the balls to tell him. Unfortunately he got to know of his omission when a sports journalists approached him for an interview which he obliged.
“How did you take the news of your omission from the AFCON list?
He said what? – He jumped up, he punched the air, he started sweating and he raced up the stairs to confront one of the Super Eagles coaches, only to realize that he was dropped for Chinedu Obasi Ogbuke after a power tussle between the NFF and late Amodu over the final list.
AFCON 2013 Snub
Despite his good form with Sivasspor of Turkey where he scored 29 goals in 77 games, Eneramo was again not looked at by late Stephen Keshi who insisted that he couldn’t compete for a place in his team that went on to win the title in South Africa.
Transfers
Eneramo who started his professional football career from Espérance de Tunis, USM Alger, Al-Shabab, Sivasspor, Beşiktaş, Karabükspor, İstanbul Başakşehir, Sivasspor, Manisaspor and Al-Ettifaq, in 2018 moved to his 11th club, a Cypriot side, Turk Ocağı Limasol on a four year contract with an option to extend.
0 Comments