Keshi saved Emenike’s career

Emenike

Keshi saved Emenike’s career - Okosun

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by Sammy Wejinya 22 March 2013, 07:24

Psychologist of the Nigeria national team, Robinson Okosun has revealed that head coach, Stephen Keshi must be given credit for “saving the career” of Spartak Moscow attacker, Emmanuel Emenike.
Emenike recently lashed out at Keshi and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for showing little concern for his plight after he picked up a hamstring injury while representing Nigeria at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
Okosun has now expressed shock at the striker’s outburst explaining that Emenike should have expressed gratitude to Keshi rather than vilify him publicly.
“Keshi actually saved Emenike’s career. After the player picked up that injury against Mali in the semi finals, he still insisted on playing through the pain barrier in the final against Burkina Faso,” he told supersport.com.

Okosun then revealed that the medical team of the Super Eagles subsequently revealed to Keshi that the striker had a small tear in his hamstring which would get worse and potentially abbreviate his career if he was played against Burkina Faso in the 2013 Afcon final.

“Keshi was faced with a difficult choice but chose to save the striker’s career. I know a lot of coaches who would have forced the individual to play especially when it was considered that he was the competition’s top scorer and in a rich vein of form at that time.
 

“So for the player to now say Keshi abandoned him when he was injured just amazes me. To be perfectly honest, I still doubt whether he granted that interview,” he stated.
Meanwhile, players of the Super Eagles preparing for the 2014 Fifa world cup qualifier against Kenya on Saturday are unconcerned about the recent declarations of Emenike.Head coach, Stephen Keshi said none of the players have discussed the issue as it was “not a priority”“None of the boys have talked about this because it is not a priority. What the boys are concerned about now is the game on Saturday and not the issue of Emenike,” Keshi told supersport.com.