By JACOB AJOM

Former Super Eagles star, Garba Lawal has warned Nigeria and West Brom forward, Osaze Odemwinge to always observe the golden rule-obedience to constituted authority and humility –  in order to actualise his dream of a successful football career.

Speaking with journalists in Kaduna at the weekend, Lawal said although talent and skill were the basic ingredients needed by any sportsman to succeed, discipline remains the key.

Reacting to a question on the face-off between Super Eagles chief coach, Samson Siasia and Osaze, the former international said, “you have to show discipline to your coach. The coach should decide who plays what role in the team. The coach takes decisions and every member of the team must respect those decisions.”

He mentioned former Nigerian star, Etim Esin whom he described as “a very talented player” but whose career was ruined by indiscipline. “Etim was a fantastic player and every body knew how good he was, but we all know what happened to him. It was indiscipline. So, Osaze have to take it easy and respect himself and the coach too must respect himself,” he said.

He recalled that in 2002, former Nigeria coach, Adegboye Onigbinde dropped the likes of Finidi George, Sunday Oliseh among others before the Korea/Japan World Cup and heavens did not fall. The  France ’98 World Cup star wondered why there is so much hullabaloo over Siasia’s decision to drop Osaze before the crunch African Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia.

“If nobody talked  when Babangida, Finidi, Oliseh were dropped from the team why is everybody talking now?” he asked, adding, “Osaze must discipline himself.”