Worried about the misgivings or misinformation that may arise following the exclusion of Vincent Enyeama from the Eagles next two matches, team spokesman Collin Udoh wrote to put the facts straight this way:

To recap, after the team’s training session on the day of departure for Madagascar, Enyeama and Mikel expressed concerns about the team’s flight arrangements, saying they would have preferred a bigger plane which would have no need to stop over and refuel.

Siasia listened to them, then asked them if they wanted the team to change travel plans. Both players said no, that they were only expressing their feelings and that of other teammates who were not confident enough to speak out.

Siasia then informed them that arrangements had been made already and the team would fly out as scheduled.

At the time of depparture, both players, along with Mikel’s room mate Victor Anichebe, were nowhere to be found.

After waiting nearly half an hour, the coach directed the bus to leave without them, including assistant coach Simon Kalika who was trying to talk the players down.

Eventually, they joined the rest of the squad at the airport and flew to Madagascar.

At Antananarivo, Siasia then called a meeting to resolve the issue.

And this is where the current troubles stem from.

During that meeting, Siasia laid into Mikel, then Anichebe and the Enyeama.

Enyeama took exception to being singled out as the instigator, and being told that not only did he report late to camp, he had also been stirring trouble.

He protested. Vehemently.

According to him, he was the one playing peacemaker and he definitely hadnt been causing any trouble since he came in. Officials present, including NFF Executive Committee member Christopher Green, were displeased at the tone of his language in addressing the coach, especially in front of the group.

Long and short of this is, Green, the coach and his crew felt Enyeama’s tone was rude and insulting.

Enyeama, on the hand, believed he was just being honest and talking straight.

A decision was taken to leave him out of the match day squad unless he apologised to the coach. He did not, and he was left out.

The understanding was that he would then be restored for the game against Argentina.

However, the night after the Madagascar game, as the team prepared to leave for Bangladesh, Enyeama appproached the coach asking for permission to return to his club. It was a request that caught officials by surprise. Siasia was not happy about the player’s decision to leave, but granted him permission in order not to cause a fracture in team spirit that having a disgruntled player might cause.

Green made it clear the matter had gone beyond Siasia and would be taken up by the NFF, as he was present through the entire episode.

Last week, Vincent did the right and honourable thing, by tendering a public apology, in which he stated that he would call the coach to personally appologise. Sadly, that call did not come through.

I was told that up until the list was sent to the Technical Committee, if the coach had received a call from Vincent, he would have been included in the squad.

That, my friends, is the true, albeit abridged, situation.”