When Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia released his team list for the next games to the media on Thursday, most of the names seen on the list were virtually what followers of the game expected but two names stood out from the long list. Osaze Odemwingie’s name that was not included became an instant hit with the breaking news network and then a name like Isaac Promise was not what reporters expected to see from the list of players invited.

“We took a close look at the list,” a former coach of the Eagles Christain Chukwu says of the list, “and he was able to defend every name on it. Those are the players he needs to run his programmes successfully and there was not any need to drop anybody. The names were generally acceptable to the members and he got a clear approval.”

Chukwu who is a member of the Nigeria Football Federation’s Technical Committee was one of those that reviewed the squad list before it was made public.

Striker Odemwingie was left out in a disciplinary measure for allegedly walking out on the team after the 4-0 home win over Ethiopia in March, thus missing the 3-0 friendly win against Kenya two days later.

“Odemwingie left camp without permission after the Ethiopia game,” Siasia was quoted as saying by his press officer Colin Udoh on his Twitter account.

A Twitter outburst at the coach in March, when Odemwingie accused Siasia of having “issues” with him and tweeted about pressure on him to play in a friendly against Kenya while carrying an injury.

It was alleged that Odemwingie first wrote, “Unlike me my finishing in training today was good. Hearing something that Siasia is angry I left. He needs to think a bit or he got issues.”

After that write-up generated comments the West Brom attacker was said to have deleted the comment but then posted a fresh one saying, “Managed to play the official (game against Ethiopia). A friendly in an empty stadium (versus Kenya), struggling with an injury preferred not to play. And it became an issue?”

Those comments forced media reports that Siasia had immediately suspended him — an allegation the coach quickly denied until he formally announced the suspension on Thursday in Abuja. Followers of the out burst and the suspension order suggest that Nigerian fans may never see Odemwingie in the team again.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean a permanent sack from the team. Information reaching us suggests that Osaze had a bad case of indiscipline and such a matter must be dealt with firmly before it pollutes the rest of the squad. He walked out on the team and so if he walks back by a show of remorse he should be allowed back in the team,” Chukwu said.

A former captain of the Eagles Sylvanus Okpala proffers another way to handle the development.

“I believe Osaze is in a very good form now and the team really needs to use him. But whether in Europe or America, there is no coach that will tolerate his player walking out on him. He must be punished.

“But there is always a faster way out of a situation like this. I believe those close enough to Siasia can plead with him to grant pardon and friends of Osaze have to tell him the way to properly conduct himself and make him apologise. Ego kills team spirit and must be detested. The games are still a bit far off and I think he could still be admitted if he warms his way back,” Okpala said.

A former midfielder with the Eagles and now the General Manager of Shooting Stars of Ibadan Mutiu Adepoju agrees with the way Siasia has dealt with the Odemwingie issue. But does he think all the players could have made it on merit?

“Definitely they has been on the coach’s radar and I believe they would have merited a call up before they got listed,” he said.

Okpala sums it up this way, “Most of us do not really monitor the players as much as the coach that needs to use them. And so I believe all them would have passed his test. It is not what the fan is looking for in a player that the coach is calculating. He has a programme to execute and it is those who fit in that he can invite. So insinuations about getting through the back door should not hold any ground,” he said.

-Punch