IKENWA NNABUOGOR digs into the archives to profile players who were forgotten after just a game for the Super Eagles…
They never wished they could be dumped after just a game for their country, but sadly a good number of players were consigned to the scrapheap after just an appearance for Nigeria.
Some may have posted stinkers in their lone outing to turn off the Eagles lights, but some just were not favoured to continue their service for their country despite posting a performance worth another chance.
The euphoria and public yearnings that threw up some players appeared to have not really worth it after they were dumped after just a cap, leaving the players cursing the luck and regretting their decisions to serve their fatherland.
One of such players was Peter Ijeh.
The former Nitel Lagos striker’s noise was worth it after emerging top scorer in the Swedish Alsvensken (Premier League) with Malmo FF in 2002 and pronto he was invited by coach Christian Chukwu for a friendly against Jamaica in Lagos on November 20.
It was one stinker of a game Ijeh would never forget in a hurry and the fans compounded his misery by booing him.
He was still in the Chukwu’s team five days later against Egypt in Port Harcourt, but he didn’t get to play.
Ijeh’s much-awaited Eagles journey ended just before it had started and he will be remembered as one big names who emerged a top scorer in Europe but failed to crack it with his country.
English-born Ade Akinbiyi (pronounced Akin-bai by the English press) was another big name who took his bags to England after just a cap for his native land.
The record buy for Leicester City, who surprisingly did not play any age group competition for England, filed out for the friendly against Greece in 1999, losing 2-0 in the game that was played in Kilkis, in Macedonia.
Akinbiyi had been courted severally by Nigeria, but failed to convince the national team selectors for another recall.
Tosin Dosunmu’s case was just like Ijeh’s – the striker had been on fire in Belgium, scoring regularly for KV Mechelen, Dender, Germinal Beerschot and KVC Westerlo.
Coach Chukwu bowed to pressure to invite him for a 2006 Germany World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Abuja on June 5, 2004.
The then Austria Vienna hitman was just a shadow of himself as Obafemi Martins grabbed both goals in 2-0 defeat of the East Africans.
He was never considered for another shot thereafter, but the former Nancy striker continued his goal feast in Europe, returning to Belgium the following season and winning the Jupiler League top scorer award with 18 goals for Germinal Beerschot.
Emmanuel Okoduwa had caught the eye of the national team selectors when he won the Ukrainian Premier League top scorer award with modest Arsenal Kiev in 2006.
He was added into the Eagles ranks against Lesotho in the 2008 Nations Cup qualifier on October 8, 2006, coming on as a second-half substitute in the game, Yakubu Aiyegbeni scored to.give his country a 1-0 away win.
Late coach Shuaibu Amodu kept faith with his frontmen Aiyegbeni, Obafemi Martins, Obinna Nsofor and Ikechukwu Uche, leaving the former Shaktar Donetsk striker to think about his unforgettable lone cap.
Could Haruna Babangida be wondering why he was good enough for just one appearance for his country because of his lack of inches?
Despite his diminutive stature, the younger sibling of former Super Eagles winger Tijani Babangida, ‘Daddy’ still proved worthy to be invited to try his luck with the senior national team.
He was promoted to the senior side in 2003 while on loan at Spanish lower side FC Terrassa from Barcelona B and drafted into the Eagles squad for a friendly against Japan on August 20.
Babangida and his mates were thoroughly beaten 3-0 by Junichi Inamoto-inspired side with a brace from Naohiro Takahara and Yasuhito Endo in Tokyo.
Babangida was never considered for another shot, leaving him to savour his glory days with a silver medal to show for it with the U23s at the soccer event of the All African Games hosted by Nigeria in 2003.
The presence of late Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi and Samson Siasia in the Eagles was responsible for the former Flying Eagles striker Christopher Ohenhen’s shut out.
Ohenhen did this, did that for Spanish modest side CD Compostella that would have earned him a deserved place in the Eagles attack, but he emerged on the wrong side of time and grabbing a shirt was a huge mountain to climb in the star-studded Eagles’ fearsome attacking line.
But he managed to grab just one appearance that he would never forget in a hurry, coming on as a substitute in the France 1998 World Cup qualifier against Kenya in Lagos on June 7, 1997.
Ohenhen teed off his Benin mate Wilson Oruma delightfully for Eagles third goal in the 83rd minute as the Eagles wrapped up their France 1998 World Cup qualification on a high.
Even the commentator was fascinated by the goal and remarked, “the goal was cooked in Benin and delivered in Lagos by two former mates at Bendel Insurance FC.”
“Ohen”, as he was called by the Spanish press, would return to his base to continue his business at Compostella but never to put on his country’s colours again.
