Row Over Plan To Recall Yakubu

Coach Stephen Keshi’s impending plan to allow Yakubu Aiyegbeni rejoin the Super Eagles after the last FIFA World Cup in South Africa is generating mixed reactions from soccer loving Nigerians.

Keshi’s decision to recall Yakubu came against the backdrop of the brilliant performance of the Nigerian star for his Premier League club, Blackburn Rovers in the English League in their recent outing.

Yakubu, 28, scored twice in Blackburn Rovers’ 3-3 draw at Wigan Athletic at the weekend and his performance has not gone unnoticed by the Nigerian manager.

Keshi believes that recalling Yakubu to the Eagles will give the younger players a chance to learn from the former Everton player. Keshi also wants John Utaka of French club Montpellier back in the national team

This, however, did not go down well with former executive member of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, who kicked against recalling Yakubu, Utaka and others into the new-look Super Eagles, saying it is a step in the wrong direction.

Gara-Gombe, a social critic and former chairman of Gombe State Football Association said calling back Yakubu and others like him into the Eagles could lead to the return of a Mafia into the team.

He said: “Personally, I will not subscribe to the idea of bringing back Yakubu and his likes into the Super Eagles. This is because their recall could lead us back to those days when a Mafia reigned in the Eagles.”

He stated further that the new-look Eagles under Keshi should be allowed to develop into a formidable team without the influence of the old players who had shut themselves out of the team.

But Shehu Adamu, a current member of NFF’s Executive Committee, disagreed with Gara-Gombe, saying that there is nothing wrong in the plan of Keshi to recall Yakubu or any other player, either past or present, into the Super Eagles in as much as they have something to contribute to the overall success of the team.

Adamu said the argument of who to invite to the Eagles should not be made to distract Keshi of his plan to reposition the senior national team.

“As we are rebuilding a new team, we can’t throw away the wealth of experience of players like Yakubu. If Yakubu or any other player deserves to be called back to the team, definitely I will support their recall,” he said.

“I believe Yakubu has always shown that he’s a fantastic striker and a good coach will be happy to have such a player in his side,” Adamu said.

Yakubu last appeared for Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. His brace against Wigan last Saturday took his total number of goals since arriving England in 2003 to over 100.

— Bamidele Olowosagba