TheCable

Like a popular brand of car in Nigeria, Stephen Keshi has called for the end of discussion with the media over Ikechukwu Uche’s exclusion from the national team. 

Keshi said during a session with the media that he contacted IK Uche about the possibility of playing in last month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers but the former Recreativo Huelva of Spain forward was not favourably disposed to honouring the invitation.

Uche has been consistently left out of the Nigeria squad by Keshi in recent months, with the Big Boss questioning the attitude of the player.

But it now seems he should forget playing for the country as long as Keshi remains the coach.

“Before the game against Congo, I did the list. Ike Uche’s name was on the list. He didn’t even know about it,” Keshi said.

“Uche called me like four days later, and we spoke like brothers and that was it.

“The next time my secretary, Dayo Enebi, called the players asking them if they had South African visa. He called Uche and asked him and Uche said ‘why are you asking me, what do you need that for?’

“Uche said he needs somebody to talk to him about something, they said he was a bad kid, he did something wrong if not. I said take his name out.

“I am not going to beg Uche and I will not ask (assistant coach) Daniel (Amokachi) to beg Uche for what? We all played for this country for 20-something years. Nobody begged us to play; we were begging to play.

“Why is it only Ike Uche? Obafemi Martins is also there; he is not saying anything.

“So, why do you guys want to tear this team apart? Please let it be the end today. Don’t ask me about Uche. Please nobody should ask me about Ike Uche again.”

On the pressure facing the team to qualify for AFCON 2015

There is always pressure; otherwise we will not be here. They know what is at stake; I don’t need to draw it down again to them but every now and then we keep nagging them during training and hope that they keep their focus and come back with a win.

On the Municipal Stadium in Khartoum which has an artificial pitch

We have been training at the Goal Project because of the artificial turf in Sudan. But am not sure it’s going to be the same with the one here because I hear theirs is much newer and we don’t know if its first grade or second level but until we get there to find out. But all the same we have to take that out of our mind and just play 90 minutes and get out of there.

On travelling in a chartered flight

Yes it will be nice to travel with a chartered flight because it is always an issue travelling within Africa in a passenger aircraft. In a fixture like we have, the ideal thing is to move in there play the game and leave immediately to come and prepare for the return leg.