Former Super Eagles striker Chinedu Obasi has revealed that he couldn’t make Nigeria’s 23-man squad to Brazil 2014 World Cup because he failed to bribe officials.
Obasi was a regular for Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga at the time, impressing with goals.
In a recent chat on Instagram Live, Obasi disclosed that his failure to part with money resulted in his omission from the final squad for the trip to Brazil.
He said: ”Two days before the list came out, I was asked to pay some money if I want to be in the team. I felt like I’ve paid my dues for the country, I shouldn’t do this. If I was a young player, maybe I would have done that, but it was a bit personal for me and I felt very heartbroken. I was playing for Schalke, I was playing in the Champions League and I was doing well.
“I was supposed to move from Hoffenheim to England and I got injured playing for Nigeria at the World Cup [in South Africa]. After that competition, nobody called me to know how I am doing. I spent a lot of money to get fit. All people talked about was the injury. They don’t care to know what I went through on a daily basis making sure I get my body in shape, to stay healthy.
“It takes a lot of dedication, money, investing in myself and my body. I went through surgery, did everything I can. Now a competition is coming up, you’re inviting me to the national team. I’ve exhausted my own money and you want me to pay, which is a slap in the face for me.
“I said I’m not comfortable doing that. They said I should know the system, and I should act like I’m a Nigerian. I said it’s not about being a Nigerian but doing the right thing.”
