Cairo ’91 All Africa Games bronze medallist Andrew Aikhuomogbe has claimed that Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi made a “big mistake” by overlooking Spain-based Ikechukwu Uche in the early stages of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Villarreal forward fell out of favour with Keshi after the final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, and the Super Eagles manager ignored the 30-year-old during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
And Keshi stuck to his guns to omit the player from his Brazil 2014 World Cup squad, despite the pressure from the media and fans for Uche to be selected for the tournament.
However, Uche, who has banged in four goals in 10 appearances for Villarreal in La Liga in the season, ended his international exile in style by scoring a goal (in Nigeria’s 2-0 defeat of Congo in Pointe Noire on November 15) the last two games of the Equatorial Guinea 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Group A qualifiers.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the championship after South Africa and Congo grabbed the two automatic qualification spots in the group.
Aikhuomogbe, who laments the Eagles will not be in Equatorial Guinea next month to defend their title, insists Keshi’s decision to leave Uche out of his plans for the qualifiers cost the country dearly.
The former Eagles goalkeeper maintains the African champions would have sealed their place in the January 17-February 8 tournament if Keshi had invited “other experienced players”.
“I feel very bad about the development (Nigeria’s failure to qualify for Equatorial Guinea 2015),” the 1989 FIFA Under-17 World Cup silver medallist told our correspondent online during the week.
“I’m not blaming Keshi for our failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. Maybe that’s how God wants it.”
The former Shooting Stars custodian, who is currently based in Egypt , added, “Sometimes Keshi invited the right players for the qualifiers, and sometimes he didn’t.
“Uche is one player who could have helped the team qualify for the tournament if he had played in the qualifiers from the beginning.”
The Cairo-based players’ manager heaped praise on Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi and Fenerbhace forward Emmanuel Emenike for their performances during the qualifiers.
He said the players deserve credit, not condemnation, despite not being able to fire the country to Equatorial Guinea.
“We should learn from our mistakes and move on,” Aikhuomogbe added.
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