Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi was away to Ghana on Thursday for the African Footballer of the Year award but before he boarded the flight he announced a new set of rules that will govern the national team.
The former captain of the national team has warned the players against wearing ear rings as he moved to impose a new and purposeful identity on the team.
Keshi told the players in Abuja, “If we were Indians, I would understand, because it’s part of their culture but wearing ear rings by men is alien to Nigeria and no player is permitted here to wear them.”
The position of Keshi will affect a number of players in the expanded squad of Europe and home-based players. The Eagles were, however, silent on their hairstyles while on national duty.
Those to be affected by the new regulation are the captain of the team Joseph Yobo, Osaze Odemwingie, Peter Utaka, Victor Anichebe, Chibuzor Okonkwo, Brown Ideye, Dele Adeleye and Obafemi Martins.
The former coach of Togo laid a lot of emphasis on discipline and attitude of the players on and off the pitch in his first major meeting with the 30 players invited for the next international friendly slated for January 7.
He warned that any Eagle who plays to the gallery, would be sent away from camp by the end of this week or early next week. Keshi insisted that the national camp was no breeding ground for players who want to show off. Some of the players, buoyed by their agents, often engage in selfish display to gain ratings so as to make them more marketable.
He said, “We’re in for serious business, because we want to return our country to the top and any player not ready would be shown the exit door.”
“I will not quarrel with any player but anyone who flouts camp rules should pack his bag and leave the camp before I react negatively.”
Keshi promised that home-based players will no longer be used as training materials but rather given a decent chance to fight for places in the team with their counterparts from overseas.
He therefore challenged the players to prove that they are better than the foreign-based players.
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