Former Super Eagles forward Osaze Odemwingie says some former coaches of the national team were player managers, Punch reports.
Osaze, who made his debut for the Eagles in May 2002, added that these coaches preferred weaker players in the squad to better players during matches.
“Some picked a weaker player over a stronger one who played in a better club because they wanted to market their player,”Osaze told the Super Eagles media team in an interview via Instagram Live.
“Some of our coaches did get involved in a bit of player management, they had management companies. Shuaibu Amodu for instance had a management company.
“He was in and out as a coach and an agent, but he was a great man. I used to talk with him whenever I could about it. I loved Amodu.
“We used to fall out at times with him when they changed our hotels to a very poor one in Abuja. I would raise questions because it was disgusting and downgrading.”
Osaze also lamented being left out of the 2013 AFCON-winning squad, saying he should have called then coach of the team Stephen Keshi to resolve their rift.
“I think I should have called the coach and not be stubborn, maybe I would have a gold medal too,” he said.
“I dreamt about the team winning the trophy before the tournament kicked off. But you know when you are young and you believe you are right with your decision, you just want to stick to it. Well, it’s past now but it is what I would have handled differently.”
Osaze played in four AFCON tournaments, two World Cups and was also part of Nigeria’s U-23 team to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, where they won a silver medal.
The 38-year-old began his career with Nigerian Professional Football League outfit Bendel Insurance before moving to La Louviere in Belgium in 2004.
He also played for Lille, Lokomotiv Moscow, West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City, Stoke City and Rotherham United before leaving English football for Indonesian topflight side Madura FC in 2017.
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