Villarreal striker, Ikechukwu Uche took the front burner yesterday at the Tom Tom Media Roundtable with Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi.
Uche is being left out of the World Cup campaign in spite of his current good runs in the Spanish league.
The former Eagles captain apparently was aware that such burning questions on Ike Uche and Osaze Odemwingie would be asked and prepared well and handled the questions very well until somebody put it to him that he possibly refused to invite Uche because the player refused to let him manage him.
Kehi adjusted on his seat, looked at the crowd and asked for the Reporter’s name. He cleared his throat and retorted.
‘’Before these players started playing football, I’ve made my money. They cannot give me money to satisfy my hunger. In the past, other coaches did it. I, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi can’t be bribed. You can’t bribe me. There is nothing you can use to entice me.
Many rich people come to me with money to influence calling their wards or playing them. I shunned them. Equatorial Guinea promised to pay me more money than what Nigeria is paying me.
The most important thing to me is coaching the Super Eagles. Bringing joy to so many millions of Nigerians is my ultimate joy.
I was with Ike Uche in South Africa during the African Cup of Nations in South Africa. I have no personal grudge against him. He is a good player. But not all good players play for their national team. If you are not a team player, you can’t play for me.
Nobody has money to buy me because I’m well by God’s grace’’
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