ENYIMBA, NATIONALE FIGHT OVER ENYEAMA
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ENYIMBA, NATIONALE FIGHT OVER ENYEAMA
Nigeria keeper in club war
Oluwashina Okeleji
BBC Sport, Lagos
I am through with Enyimba and should be left alone to move my career forward
Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama
Two Nigerian teams, Enyimba and Iwuanyanwu Nationale, are at loggerheads over Vincent Enyeama.
Ignatius Okehialam, chairman of Nationale, has accused his Enyimba counterpart, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, of frustrating his club's plans to sign the Nigeria goalkeeper.
Enyeama played for the African champions last season but has been without a team, after refusing to extend his contract with the Aba side when it expired in December last year.
Enyimba and Nationale are both based in Nigeria's Igbo-speaking south-eastern region.
"I have a lot of respect for the Enyimba chairman but his decision to hold on to a player who is no longer with his club is ridiculous," Okehialam told BBC Sport.
"He is clubless but has been training with us, yet we cannot get his clearance and the reason for this I can't really understand."
Enyeama's problem stems from a Nigerian league rule that states a player must be cleared by his old club - which Enyimba have yet to do - before he can move to a new one.
Okehialam went on: "He is not registered with Enyimba this season, but the chairman insists we can only have him on loan.
"I guess the rule of getting a certified clearance is the force behind this [problem]."
But Enyimba spokesman Tonex Chukwu told BBC Sport the claims of Nationale's chairman are unfair to his team.
"Enyeama left last December, on what we call a leave of absence. This enables players to seek greener pastures.
"But when he came back empty-handed, we had finished registration, even though he had signed a pre-contract with us.
"We offered him a chance to wait till the ninth [league] week, which would have qualified him to play for us. But rather than wait, he went to Nationale.
"We are no longer selling him because the bubble has burst," Chukwu claimed.
Enyeama, voted best goalkeeper of the 2004 African Cup of Nations and best player of last year's Caf Champions League, claims he is caught in the crossfire of club rivalry.
"I am through with Enyimba and should be left alone to move my career forward," Enyeama told BBC Sport.
"I think it's more of a personal war between both [chair]men."
Enyeama's lack of club action for three months has led the Nigerian media to criticise Super Eagles manager Christian Chukwu for keeping him as the country's first-choice goalkeeper.
He was in goal when Nigeria beat Gabon 2-0 in their most recent World Cup qualifier.
Enyeama has searched fruitlessly for a European club contract, which has included a trial with English Premiership side Bolton Wanderers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 398271.stm
Oluwashina Okeleji
BBC Sport, Lagos
I am through with Enyimba and should be left alone to move my career forward
Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama
Two Nigerian teams, Enyimba and Iwuanyanwu Nationale, are at loggerheads over Vincent Enyeama.
Ignatius Okehialam, chairman of Nationale, has accused his Enyimba counterpart, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, of frustrating his club's plans to sign the Nigeria goalkeeper.
Enyeama played for the African champions last season but has been without a team, after refusing to extend his contract with the Aba side when it expired in December last year.
Enyimba and Nationale are both based in Nigeria's Igbo-speaking south-eastern region.
"I have a lot of respect for the Enyimba chairman but his decision to hold on to a player who is no longer with his club is ridiculous," Okehialam told BBC Sport.
"He is clubless but has been training with us, yet we cannot get his clearance and the reason for this I can't really understand."
Enyeama's problem stems from a Nigerian league rule that states a player must be cleared by his old club - which Enyimba have yet to do - before he can move to a new one.
Okehialam went on: "He is not registered with Enyimba this season, but the chairman insists we can only have him on loan.
"I guess the rule of getting a certified clearance is the force behind this [problem]."
But Enyimba spokesman Tonex Chukwu told BBC Sport the claims of Nationale's chairman are unfair to his team.
"Enyeama left last December, on what we call a leave of absence. This enables players to seek greener pastures.
"But when he came back empty-handed, we had finished registration, even though he had signed a pre-contract with us.
"We offered him a chance to wait till the ninth [league] week, which would have qualified him to play for us. But rather than wait, he went to Nationale.
"We are no longer selling him because the bubble has burst," Chukwu claimed.
Enyeama, voted best goalkeeper of the 2004 African Cup of Nations and best player of last year's Caf Champions League, claims he is caught in the crossfire of club rivalry.
"I am through with Enyimba and should be left alone to move my career forward," Enyeama told BBC Sport.
"I think it's more of a personal war between both [chair]men."
Enyeama's lack of club action for three months has led the Nigerian media to criticise Super Eagles manager Christian Chukwu for keeping him as the country's first-choice goalkeeper.
He was in goal when Nigeria beat Gabon 2-0 in their most recent World Cup qualifier.
Enyeama has searched fruitlessly for a European club contract, which has included a trial with English Premiership side Bolton Wanderers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 398271.stm
TOUCH NOT MY ANOINTED...
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding...hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe
