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Sex Scandal: Agali Clears Self, Chides Chukwu

Galadima slams players
By Emeka Enechi and Ayodeji Fashikun

Nigerian Football Association (NFA) chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima may have opened the pandora box by his accusation against the three players sent home in disgrace as 'polluting' the rest of the squad, just as one of the accused players, Victor Agali, has threatened to sue the NFA and the Sports Ministry if their allegation affects his marriage.

Agali said that coach Christian Chukwu lacked the technical ability and intelligence to handle the Super Eagles. He spoke to Brila Sports, a Lagos based sports radio on a live programme yesterday, denying the allegations and maintained that they were innocent of the alleged crime.

He said "I think I will have no option than to sue both the NFA and the Sports Ministry if this development affect my marriage. I know what I am saying because I have a happy home and I want to believe that this was done to smear my person and family. You can imagine what transpired between me and the FA in the past. We put that behind us and now they invited me for this competition only to attempt to ruin me, my career and family".

Asked to apologise to Nigerians for his alleged role so that peace would reign between them, Agali declined, saying nothing of such happened. "Why should I apologise. You see, you apologise over things you did against people. But I can assure you that we never did anything."

He continued, "Let me even tell you that they took the action to save their jobs. There was tension in the camp because we lost to Morocco in our first match. Why should we apologise and for what? We did not do anything, so there is no reason for us to apologise".

The Schalke forward expressed some reservations against the Sports Minister Col Musa Mohammed (rtd) over the manner he handled the case saying "I am shocked at the manner the sports minister handled the case. He did not only approach the issue like a military man, he equally denied us the opportunity of defending ourselves".

Agali, however, challenged Chukwu or other Nigerian officials to prove his involvement in the alleged charges. Asked his impression about Chukwu, the player maintained that the coach was unfit to tinker the team. Agali predicated his logic on Chukwu's lack of exposure. "Chukwu behaves the way he does as a result of his level of exposure". Agali vowed never to play for the country again "so long as Chukwu and the incumbent minister remained in charge".

Reacting to the allegations, Agali's wife categorically dismissed the story adding "I have known my husband for eight years and nothing of such had happened".

Asked whether she would encourage her husband to honour invitation to the team, she said it was not worth the trouble "given his past experience. You can see that it looked like something that was arranged."

She recalled, "He had not played for the country for a long time. Now they made up and look at what they did to him. I'm sorry, I will not want him to play for Nigeria again, but since he loves his country so much, I will not stop him".

Chelsea's Celestine Babayaro, Portsmouth's Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Victor Agali of Schalke 04 were all thrown out of the Super Eagles' training camp last week for 'indiscipline' while on African Cup of Nations duty.

They were alleged to have sneaked three women back into the team hotel, an allegation all three strenuously denied which has generated greater controversy both at home and in the international scene.

Security at the team's hotel in Monastir are said to have tipped off team officials that the girls were in the hotel. The players' rooms were empty when checked and the players were said to be found with the girls partying on another floor at the five-star Kuriat Palace Hotel.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp has leapt to the defence of striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni, but NFA chairman, Alhaji Galadima was unrepentant in his condemnation of all the three players.

He fumed: "It is the worst act of indiscipline. It is unpatriotic and we cannot condone it. We, board members of the NFA, met and agreed that we have to decamp them. We don't want them to pollute the other players. I'm in shock."

Yakubu's agent, Pini Zahavi, backed his man saying he is innocent. "Yakubu came to me swearing to God that it was not him," said the agent.

furiously frank wrote:When Agali proclaimed AO as incompetent the likes of CS were busy celebrating the roasting of the old man, now that CS's own hero is been villified by the same Agali, suddenly Agali don become a bad guy, na wah for Naija

FRANK:
Agali is merely being Agali. Here is the track record:

1) After the Eagles drew 2-2 with Japan at Southampton (in which he was booed off upon substitution -- unfortunately, IMHO), Agali went on the BBC and blasted his teammates for playing fanciful football.

2) After he was permanently rested after being substituted in the first two games of ANC 2002 -- each of which he started and subsequently underperformed, Agali refused to play the Third-place game and left early.

3) After arriving back in Germany (he was also reportedly flown back by charter a la Aiyegbeni in 2004), Agali publicly criticised some of his teammates, Shaibu Amodu and the coaching staff in the foreign press.

4) After failing to turn up for two pre-WC 2002 friendlies (against Ireland, he pleaded visa problems and against Jamaica, inexplicably), Agali then launched a tirade of corruption allegations against Onigbinde and his staff.

5) After declining Onigbinde's invitations (allegedly because he was "not properly invited"), Agali proceeded to launch a broadside against ALL indigenous coaches -- and (in)famously proclaimed that he will never again play for the Eagles until a foreign coach is appointed.

So I find nothing novel in Victor Agali's most recent reported vitepurations. He is merely reprising his well-worn role as himself! And frankly, if that is the sort of "exposure" that Chukwu purportedly lacks, one can only thank the Good Lord for small mercies.

Victor, please do not let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you!

I guess it must be some kind of complex...

They guy just can't tap Niger style.

Well documented.

Gotti wrote:

furiously frank wrote:When Agali proclaimed AO as incompetent the likes of CS were busy celebrating the roasting of the old man, now that CS's own hero is been villified by the same Agali, suddenly Agali don become a bad guy, na wah for Naija

FRANK:
Agali is merely being Agali. Here is the track record:

1) After the Eagles drew 2-2 with Japan at Southampton (in which he was booed off upon substitution -- unfortunately, IMHO), Agali went on the BBC and blasted his teammates for playing fanciful football.

2) After he was permanently rested after being substituted in the first two games of ANC 2002 -- each of which he started and subsequently underperformed, Agali refused to play the Third-place game and left early.

3) After arriving back in Germany (he was also reportedly flown back by charter a la Aiyegbeni in 2004), Agali publicly criticised some of his teammates, Shaibu Amodu and the coaching staff in the foreign press.

4) After failing to turn up for two pre-WC 2002 friendlies (against Ireland, he pleaded visa problems and against Jamaica, inexplicably), Agali then launched a tirade of corruption allegations against Onigbinde and his staff.

5) After declining Onigbinde's invitations (allegedly because he was "not properly invited"), Agali proceeded to launch a broadside against ALL indigenous coaches -- and (in)famously proclaimed that he will never again play for the Eagles until a foreign coach is appointed.

So I find nothing novel in Victor Agali's most recent reported vitepurations. He is merely reprising his well-worn role as himself! And frankly, if that is the sort of "exposure" that Chukwu purportedly lacks, one can only thank the Good Lord for small mercies.

Victor, please do not let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you!

No be him fault. The guy expects people to treat him special but he has not delivered. Agali is very fortunate to be playing in a good league. The guy is really average.

I hope Nigeria football administrators would wake up and realise that not all foreign based players are that good. Look at the way those Benin home-based players played some really good stuff yesterday. I cannot believe that those players on the pitch yesterday are the best Nigeria has to offer. What has gone wrong with our football?

The guy is a waste of space. The media should not give this guy any more publicity jare.

From the Gotti file on Agali:

Agali went on the BBC and blasted his teammates for playing fanciful football. Shock! Horror! Nigerian players playing "fanciful football"?? Unbelievable! Shurely, shome mishtake!

Agali refused to play the Third-place game and left early. Em, you didn't need him when it mattered. Perfectly understandable to not want to play in a meaningless game.

Agali publicly criticised some of his teammates, Shaibu Amodu and the coaching staff in the foreign press. What is the charge here? Criticism of coaches and team-mates, or doing so in the foreigh press?

Agali then launched a tirade of corruption allegations against Onigbinde and his staff. By my recollection, he just said people paid to go to the World Cup and he didn't want a part in that. Hardly qualifies as "a tirade of corruption allegations".

Agali proceeded to launch a broadside against ALL indigenous coaches -- and (in)famously proclaimed that he will never again play for the Eagles until a foreign coach is appointed. Indigenous coaches do not only need a "broadside", they need a kick up the backside. So what, if he changed his mind and decided to play under IC Chukwu. Every human being is entitled to change their minds. Damned if he did, damned if he didn't.

Gotti:
I agree Agali is just being himself. But why then was he invited back? For all intent and purposes, his decision not to play for an indigenous coach has been known to you and I, as well as everymember of this forum. So where has the NFA been? On Mars?

Thunder wrote:Gotti:
I agree Agali is just being himself. But why then was he invited back? For all intent and purposes, his decision not to play for an indigenous coach has been known to you and I, as well as everymember of this forum. So where has the NFA been? On Mars?

And where was Agali's brain when he was being invited, on pluto?
He is a grown man and should have stuck with his decision.

I am disappointed by the subjective and highly selective nature of Gotti's post.

I am by no means a Victor Agali fan. But let's look at this a little differently.

At the 2000 Olympics he was our most successful player, far outperforming Aghahowa in particular.

He then established himself in the German Bundesliga and his goals got us to the World Cup.

We all knew exactly what he was. He is a big lamp-post like centre-forward in the Kennet Andersson mould, who depends entirely on a supply of high quality crosses from speedy wide men like the old Finidi or Babangida.

Amodu might be the best Nigerian coach but he is still hopeless. We went into the last Nations Cup with Finidi tucked into the middle and Aiyegbeni and Aghahowa wide on the flanks, neither of whom can cross to save their lives.

And as a result Agali was a fish out of water, blamed for not scoring when he actually received no supply at all. He was the scapegoat, and not surprisingly felt set up and let down.

After the Nations Cup, Onigbinde failed to communicate at all with Agali and he was effectively an outsider on the periphery of the squad. The quality of man-management was a disgrace, but then Onigbinde is the personification of the word.

Now Agali has been recalled, only to receive a disproportionate punishment not for "breaking curfew" or "being in an orgy". Hotel security confirmed that he was wearing carpet slippers and finishing a warm drink before bedtime, like every professional footballer does all the time. If a 15 minute lapse led to expulsion then Holland, Brazil, Germany and Italy would not be able to put out a team.

By the way, hardly any national teams operate a formal curfew at all. Apparently France does, but it is fixed at midnight. Our boys were having a warm bedtime drink at 1045 pm!

Agali has been treated in a disrespectful and humiliating way. I don't rate him highly as a player, but I believe that he is conducting himself with great dignity in the face of outrageous allegations not just from our moronic administrators but also from CyberEagles contributors who should know better.

Gotti is merely being Gotti.

The fact is those same players have been invited back, Why? I do not think Gotti will bother finding out why? But it is a clear acknowledgement of an error by those who made the decision in the first place, they have made a very shameful and public U-turn, which has served to prove once again that our SE is being run by Mickey and Minnie Mouse. It is disgrace to see us being made to look like school boys who make decisions on an emotional whim, it shows how those in charge are out of their dept and do not belong. It once again shows why I will always sympatise with the players because we have Neanderthals in charge.

When we have senior players coming out and making their feelings clear about the action, it tells you things are not fine, however, it does not matter if you chose to be blinkered.

There are two sides to every story and I know Agali along with Baba and Yak were victimised and treated in the most disgraceful manner, I know they were not the only ones to have broken camp rules and CCC knows this too. Why did CCC not do the same to the other players who broke camp rules?

Agali words may hurt some but they cannot hide from its bitter truth, I admire his brutal honesty and his stance. I also admire the fact that he will not go quietly in the hope that he can curry favours to get back into the SE. I hope there is a lot more to come from him. I wish him all the best.

So Waffi will you tell us one day what really happened since you say all this stuff in the press is fabrication? Why don't the players tell their own story instead of merely issuing denials? I am sure there are other witnesses to the events including Tunisian Hotel staff that have no vested interest in the matter.

Kneedeep wrote:So Waffi will you tell us one day what really happened since you say all this stuff in the press is fabrication? Why don't the players tell their own story instead of merely issuing denials? I am sure there are other witnesses to the events including Tunisian Hotel staff that have no vested interest in the matter.

Waffi:

tell us all what REALLY happened. Maybe Gotti might stop being Gotti.

NFA is a disgrace....It is such a shame!!

If these player were guilty as charged, why were they called back after asking them to leave the camp?
Ayegbeni snub the invitation and this is his side of the story.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 462093.stm

I think the NFA should come clean about all this. I dont think these boys did all that they are being accused of doing.

Mario Puzzoh:

arent you in Tunisia? tell us what actually happened now!

I dont think these boys did all that they are being accused of doing.

Did they break camp rules though?

Chief Ogbunigwe wrote:

Kneedeep wrote:So Waffi will you tell us one day what really happened since you say all this stuff in the press is fabrication? Why don't the players tell their own story instead of merely issuing denials? I am sure there are other witnesses to the events including Tunisian Hotel staff that have no vested interest in the matter.

Waffi:

tell us all what REALLY happened. Maybe Gotti might stop being Gotti.

OGBUNIGWE:
Waffleman is merely being Waffleman.

When was the last time (which would actually be the FIRST time) that Waffleman has actually told anything that he claims to know?!

CIC/DCF:
Without prejudice to the substance (or lack thereof) of his myriad public outbursts, the singular point that I was making to FRANK was that Agali's broadside was merely in keeping with his usual fare. And while there may be dissonance amongst Nigerian opinion that he regularly publicly attacks his teammates and coaches (or, for that matter, his on-the-field contributions) -- that was hardly the point.

Why have they been called back?

Gotti wrote:

Chief Ogbunigwe wrote:

Kneedeep wrote:So Waffi will you tell us one day what really happened since you say all this stuff in the press is fabrication? Why don't the players tell their own story instead of merely issuing denials? I am sure there are other witnesses to the events including Tunisian Hotel staff that have no vested interest in the matter.

Waffi:

tell us all what REALLY happened. Maybe Gotti might stop being Gotti.

OGBUNIGWE:
Waffleman is merely being Waffleman.

When was the last time (which would actually be the FIRST time) that Waffleman has actually told anything that he claims to know?!

I'm sick and tired of people barking at the wrong tree. Let us hear the players' version of the story. Did they or did they not break camp rules? Wether they were having an orgy, or merely drinking coffee (Yak's version for retarded Nigerians) is immaterial.

I know they will come up with the usual (unfortunatey, Nigerian) excuse of "we were not the only ones who broke the rules....we were victimized based on skin color/ethnicity/religion/we didnt bribe, blah blah blah"

I am yet to hear any defense attorney plead his client's case based on the fact that "he's not the only murderer or rapist in town...the police just victimized him by catching him red-handed, when they could have patrolled other areas and caught other criminals".

It's really shocking how folks take sides with people and not issues!

Waffiman wrote:Why have they been called back?

Waffi:

didnt Ayo say they were suspended till after the game with Benin? and that the slipped out on their own even without the knowledge of their teammates who appealed on their behalf?
You make it seem as if Okocha, Kanu and Yobo were caught "nakking", but they decided to suspend Babayaro, Agali and Yak instead!

Chief Ogbunigwe wrote:

Waffiman wrote:Why have they been called back?

Waffi:

didnt Ayo say they were suspended till after the game with Benin? and that the slipped out on their own even without the knowledge of their teammates who appealed on their behalf?
You make it seem as if Okocha, Kanu and Yobo were caught "nakking", but they decided to suspend Babayaro, Agali and Yak instead!

Let me repeat again, all players have broken camp rules, why is it that they were single out for such treatment. I do not condone indiscipline but I also despise injustice. We cannot run a camp on the basis of one rule for one and another for others.

These guys were victimised, and the nature of the draconian punishment shows the desperate act of a desperate man trying to flex his muscles to show who is boss, why use a sledgehammer to kill a fly? It was a case of cutting your nose to spite your face, it was management in the most unnecessary and shocking manner.

Now they have been subjected to a very public and humiliating u-turn. Now we know who is truly the boss.