ABUJA — Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo has advised West Bromwich Albion striker, Peter Osaze Odemwingie to “grow up”.
Odemwingie since Sunday has been attacking the Super Eagles’ head coach, Stephen Keshi, Yobo, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the local media and a section of fans via social media networking site, Twitter after he was dropped from the nation’s squad.
Yobo while talking yesterday morning to Brila FM from Turkey believes that Odemwingie has a genuine case, but has presented it “in the wrong way”.
The Fenerbahce centre-half also revealed that it is the second time that Odemwingie is including him in his rant. The 32-year-old defender did not fail to identify that Odemwingie was not the only high-profile player left out from Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) provisional squad.
“The coach should be given credit (for his provisional squad). He cannot pick everyone. For me, Kalu Uche is a surprise one missing on the list. We have Obafemi Martins not on the list too. But only the coach can explain why.
“I think I can understand his (Odemwingie’s) frustration. I think he is left out not for football reasons. He has been very disrespectful.
“Osaze is responsible for his problem. He’s been fighting everyone and he needs to grow up. This is the second time he’s calling me out. He needs to go look in the mirror. He did so in 2010 and later apologised. He should know better because he’s not the (Lionel) Messi of Nigeria as there have been other top players before him. He might be saying the right things, but he’s doing so in the wrong way,” Yobo said.
The former Everton man also revealed that the 2013 Afcon in South Africa would be his swansong in the continent’s premier football championship.
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He also believes that next year’s Afcon will be tougher as “there are no minnows any longer”, but wants to win the African title as a parting shot.
“There are no minnows any longer in football. Many people didn’t give Zambia the chance to win the last Nations Cup, but they did. So we know that everyone now wants to beat Nigeria.
“I’m going to try to win this one. It is my last Nations Cup as I won’t have to deceive myself. I want to leave and allow the younger ones to have the chance to play,” said Yobo.
Yobo is Nigeria’s most capped player with 87 appearances and could hit the 90-mark when the Afcon gets underway on January 19.
