In an ironic twist, both Enyeama and Musa have been at the centre of a very public row lately when Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh stripped Enyeama of the captain's armband and handed it to Musa. This led to Enyeama retiring from international football, bringing an end to his 13-year sojourn with the Super Eagles.
Following the original furore, the Eagles lost a friendly to the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo 0-2 but in a sign that the dispute has boiled over, the team bounced back yesterday to beat Cameroon's Indomitable Lions 3-0 in Brussels. Both Enyeama and Musa have been in fine form recently for their clubs Lille and CSKA Moscow.
Other players listed for the African Player of the Year Award include Riyad Mahrez from Algeria, Yannick Bolasie of DR Congo, Andre Ayew of Ghana, Mame Diouf from Senegal, Kenya’s Victor Wanyama and Gabon skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Reigning African Player of the Year, Yaya Toure from Ivory Coast is also on a long list of nominees.
Hoping to ensure that the recent row which rocked the Eagles camp never reoccurs, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), has drawn up a code of conduct for its players and officials. NFF president Amaju Pinnick, said that the document was ready and would be implemented soon to guide the conduct of players, officials and coaches and minimise areas of conflict and tension in the national camp.
Mr Pinnick added: “A small group had been working on the document and I am happy to say that it is now ready for implementation. This will spell out how players and officials must conduct themselves while in any of the national camps and minimise the probability of misunderstanding between coaches and players.
“The recent happening in the camp of the Super Eagles in Belgium was unwarranted but I am happy we have been able to put that behind us. Both Coach Sunday Oliseh and player Vincent Enyeama even spoke cordially on Saturday during Enyeama’s meeting with the NFF leadership."
At the meeting, Mr Pinnick, along with the NFF's first vice president Seyi Akinwunmi and its second vice president Shehu Dikko, told Enyeama in clear terms that the country is bigger than any individual and that even if he was determined to quit international football, he did not have to do so in an acrimonious manner. Mr Pinnick insisted that with regards to the recent misunderstanding, there is no victor and no vanquished and hinted that the code of conduct will certainly restrict the use of social media by players to air grievances in camp.
“The head coach is in full charge of the team and the camp at all times and that fact must be respected. The NFF will support and respect the decision of the head coach of any of the national teams at all times.
“No player launches his career through the social media and when players are at their clubs, they don’t broadcast camp situations on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. The same restraint and discipline must be observed in the national camp," Mr Pinnick warned.
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