19 May 2011
West Bromwich Albion star striker Osaze Odemwingie has been dropped from Nigerias two top matches against Argentina and Ethiopia next month with coach Samson Siasia insisting the player is not bigger than Nigeria.
Siasia has brought the big hammer down on Osaze after he walked out on the Eagles ahead of a friendly against Kenya in March.
Osaze may have banged 15 goals in his debut season in the English Premier League, but Siasia told MTNFootball.com that he has to be disciplined for walking out on the team and his subsequent Twitter attack on the coach.
He said that Osaze has yet to apologise for his misconduct.
“Yes, I have excluded Osaze from the squad against Argentina as a result of his insurbordination and lack of respect for the technical crew of the team which I happen to be the head,” said Siasia.
“The other players in the team had threatened to stage a mass protest and back out in other matches if I failed to sanction Osaze for leaving the camp in Abuja without taking permission from me and travelling back to England to join his club shortly after Ethiopias Nations Cup qualifier and did not wait for the Kenya friendly.
“Some of them confessed to me that they are watching with keen interest to see if I will discipline him or not. So, I had no option than to do this to instill discipline in the team.”
Siasia further disclosed: “I do not want a situation where I or Nigeria would be totally disgraced by the players and thereby expose the country to ridicule. Let discipline be maintained.
“Osaze is not bigger than the team or the whole Nigeria.”
Siasia is well known for calling off the bluff of star players. He dropped Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Dream Team IV reached the final of the football event in China.
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