ABUJA-Embattled Golden Eaglets head coach, Alphonsus Dike says he at no time granted any interview lambasting the sports minister and members of the NFF EXCO for imposing players on his team.
The former Iwuanyanwu, Rangers and Enyimba tactician was categorical that he never granted interview to anyone, anywhere since the unfortunate crash of his team from the African U-17 Championship qualifiers, and challenged the reporter of a national sports paper (Complete Sports) which quoted him to produce the tape of the interview.
“This is sheer wickedness. I never at anytime spoke to this reporter, neither have I spoken to any reporter since my team lost to Benin Republic. How low can people descend? I am ashamed for the reporter and I will personally take the matter up with him,” Dike said.
A national sports publication (Complete Sports) had at the weekend generously quoted coach Dike as having pointed accusing fingers at the Minister/Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Abdulrahaman Gimba and some members of the NFF Executive Committee for imposing players on him.
“The players I used to prosecute the qualifying games were picked by me and other members of the technical crew of the team. It is unfortunate that we lost. NOBODY IMPOSED ANY PLAYER ON ME. I will say it anywhere.
“Nobody forced me to take any player. I accept full responsibility for what has happened. I am ashamed at the level that journalists will go to cook up a story. This is an absolute embarrassment and I will get to sort things out with the reporter and his publication,” an angry Dike said.
He said further: “This is how some people without conscience go about tarnishing the image of highly –placed sports administrators in the country. This has never happened to me. I had never thought it possible that someone will just sit somewhere and cook up a so called exclusive interview. The world is going crazy.”
Nigeria’s U-17 team lost 2-3 on aggregate to their counterparts from Benin Republic in the African U-17 Championship fixture.
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