Former Nigeria’s Super Eagles striker, Richard Owubokiri has revealed that not being able to be selected for Nigeria squad to the 1994 FIFA World Cup by coach Clemens Westerhof, did not bother him.
Owubokiri, who featured in the qualifier for the 1994 Mundial with Nigeria’s team said he did not feel embittered for his non inclusion in the final squad because he was playing at the highest level of football with Boavista then.
“I am not worried at all that I did not go to the World Cup because I played football to the highest level and I will go into history as the first African to reach this stage,” he said.
Explaining further, Owubokiri who is currently United Nations Ambassador for Peace, said before the World Cup, he had complained about the unprofessional attitude of the officials but he had no grudge with the handler of Super Eagles, so there was no reasons for him not to be in the team.
“I had a great time in the National team. I had good and bad times in the National team. I was part of the team that went to the Africa Cup of Nations in Libya in 1982 but the team crashed out early.
“There were some organizational problems in the national team when I played for Nigeria. I recall the (penultimate) time I played for the National team, I was not paid my match bonus for the win against the Bafana Bafana (team) of South Africa in 1992. The Federation did not even pay for my air ticket and I had to complain,” Owubokiri said.
On the excuse that he was dropped because of Rashidi Yekini, Owubokiri said that cannot be true because he was paired with the late striker when Nigeria clashed with South Africa in 1992.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
