Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

Players Bribe Coaches To Play For National Teams, Says Taye

By Editorial board
26 June 2015   |   11:02 pm
Super Eagles’ former defender, Taye Taiwo, yesterday revealed what many followers of Nigerian football have long suspected when he said national team coaches collect bribe from players to include them in their teams. Taiwo, a free agent after terminating his contract with Turkish team, Bursaspor, told French website, Footafrica365.fr, that he has not been in…

Taiwo-Back-27-06-2015-CopySuper Eagles’ former defender, Taye Taiwo, yesterday revealed what many followers of Nigerian football have long suspected when he said national team coaches collect bribe from players to include them in their teams.

Taiwo, a free agent after terminating his contract with Turkish team, Bursaspor, told French website, Footafrica365.fr, that he has not been in the national team because he refused to pay for a call up.

The former AC Milan defender is currently in France looking for another club, but he says he might go back to Italy as some teams, including Fiorentina, are interested in him. He also has the choice of joining a Gulf State team.

On a possible return to the Super Eagles, Taiwo said: “I’m not going to be among the players, who owe their selection to gifts to the coach. In Nigeria, it still happens that way, unfortunately.”

Taiwo is not the first to accuse Nigerian coaches of collecting bribe before inviting players to camp.

Former Super Eagles’ Coach, Clemence Westerhof, in 2013 caused an uproar when he alleged that players bribed their way into the national team.

In an interview published by SuperSport.com then, Westerhof said those players who did not merit a place in the national team got call-ups after giving money to the selectors.

“We had a situation where we had the wrong people in the wrong places, even in the (Nigeria) FA”.

Even though the Dutchman was not specific with the names of the players and coaches involved, he insisted that monies usually exchanged hands between national team selectors and the players when places in the national team were considered.

“We had cases where players paid $15,000 to the coach and say ‘I want to play for the national team’ and the coach would accept. They bought their way into the national team and it was an unbelievable situation. I know these things,” Westerhof said.

3 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    This is unfortunate. There’s no point mincing words at this juncture. Stephen Keshi is the person who’s fond of taking bribe before any player is enlisted. It won’t be business as usual anymore under buhari. If care isn’t taken, he might end up on jail of he tried it this time. He’s already having problems at the NFF. In the 90s, up till 2011, Nigerians were proud of super eagles and other teams at the junior level because they always did well. The moment keshi took over, politics, corruption and indiscipline became a commonplace among our players. That’s why you see them misbehave at international tournaments, protesting over unpaid allowances, even threatening not to play the next match and the coach won’t have any say, simply because he had collected his own share. There’s no automatic employment of coaches anymore, neither will there be automatic jerseys. Every selection must be based on merit. God bless Nigeria

    • Author’s gravatar

      why do you say what you cannot prove and even defend? you just don’t open your wide mouth and vomit rubbish because internet is open to all.
      Can Taye tell us the names of coaches he know since he was a member of the playing team and a victim for that matter

  • Author’s gravatar

    without been told, we know all these things happen in Nigeria football. the unmerited players always but their way to the national teams. don’t forget those that are been imposed on coaches by alhajis and the ogas at the top. my country Nigeria is very corrupt in every aspect. God bless my country.