Former international Tajudeen Disu has questioned the continued omission of Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins from the Super Eagles by coach Sunday Oliseh despite the player’s blistering form in the Major League Soccer this season.Martins has scored 14 goals in 18 appearances this season, and is on the verge of surpassing the 17 goals he scored last season. The former Inter Milan player has also won several Goal of the Week awards in the United States
At present, Martins has the highest number of goals than any Nigerian playing in foreign leagues. But his exclusion from the squad for this month’s friendly games against Congo and Cameroon in Belgium surprises Disu.
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“Martins remains the highest scoring Nigerian player anywhere in the world but we have refused to invite him,” Disu told our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday.
“I often wonder why he has not been invited (to the Eagles). Some say the MLS is not as tough as the leagues in Europe, but we have players from Arabian leagues in the Eagles. Which league is tougher between the two? The MLS is no longer as it used to be, it is now very big and top players from Europe are moving there.”
The former Abiola Babes defender warned Oliseh not to bow to pressure to invite players not good enough for the national team.
“At this stage, the coach should know who has the quality to play for the national team. Not every player is good enough for the national team. Oliseh should only invite the best players because he has just two friendlies to build his team (ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualifier next month).”
Meanwhile, the home-based players invited by Oliseh for the friendly games in Belgium could not travel to Europe on Sunday, as earlier scheduled, due to visa problems.
“We have booked tickets for the delegation to travel from Abuja to Frankfurt on Sunday, but that can no longer happen as their passports are still at the Embassy of Belgium. As things stand now, we can only leave for Frankfurt on Monday evening, to arrive in Belgium on Tuesday, if the visas are issued on Monday,” Super Eagles’ team administrator, Enebi Achor, said.
The delay will affect Femi Thomas, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Austin Oboroakpo, Paul Onobi, Prince Aggrey and Chima Akas.
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