Former Super Eagles assistant coach Valere Houdonou has shot down allegations by ex-Schalke 04 and Hoffenheim striker Chinedu Obasi that he was asked to pay a bribe to feature at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Houdonou, who was one of Stephen Keshi’s assistants to the World Cup in Brazil, maintained Obasi was just not good enough to make the final squad to Brazil.
“The question is, who could he have replaced among the strikers then?” Houdonou said.
“He was invited like every other potential player that could make the World Cup then because the coaching crew wanted to take the best to Brazil then.
“He failed to make the list because he could not displace anyone in the team.”
“I was supposed to be at the World Cup in 2014, I was playing with Schalke in the Champions League everything was going fine. At the end of the season, I was given an invitation for the World Cup preparations for friendlies in South Africa,” Obasi said in an interview on social media.
“So, two days before the list came out, I was asked to pay some money if I want to be in the team.
“I felt like I’ve paid my dues for the country, if you’re a new player, I can get that but for me, it was a bit personal and very heart-breaking because I got injured – I was supposed to move from Hoffenheim to England – I got injured at the 2010 World Cup playing for Nigeria after that competition nobody called me to know how I was doing.
He added: “I spent so much money to make sure that I got myself fit because all people talk about ‘oh he’s injured, oh he’s injured’ nobody knows what I go through on a daily basis making sure that I get my body fit and in shape and I stay healthy and I keep coming back.
“And it takes a lot of dedication, it takes a lot of money and it takes a lot of investment in myself and my body. I went through surgery and did everything I can.
Obasi played at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and won 26 full international caps for Nigeria after he represented the country at U17, U20 and Olympic levels.
