23 July 2008
Lagos — Vincent Enyeama and Ikechukwu Uche have criticised the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) over their attitude towards their inclusion in the country's Olympic squad.
The pair are among the three over-aged players called up by coach Samson Siasia for the Olympic football tournament, which begins on 6 August.
But barely two weeks before the start of the Games, both players have been told by their clubs that they will not be allowed to travel to China.
The Olympic football tournament is for under-23 teams, but three over-age players may also be fielded.
World football's governing body, FIFA, has confirmed to the BBC that clubs are not obliged to release over-age players for the Olympics, but they have asked clubs to comply with requests of national associations.
"The FIFA executive committee, during its meeting of 14 March, made an appeal to the solidarity of the clubs in order to release these players," a FIFA statement said.
Goalkeeper Enyeama, who plays for Hapoel Tel-Aviv in Israel, claims that the NFA have not contacted his club to seek his release.
"I have made frantic efforts for the club to release me for the Olympics but they told me to forget about it," Enyeama told BBC Sport.
"The club even went as far as saying that my country's FA has not been in touch with them or shown any strong desire to have me in the Olympic squad."
Uche says that his Spanish club Getafe only received an international invitation for the player last week and have since informed him to attend a pre-season training camp, instead of the Olympics.
"They claim there is no evidence to show that I am needed for the Olympics, and the fact that the invitation letter arrived late did not help matters," said Uche.
NFA spokesman Ademola Olajire said that they have written a letter to FIFA to have the players released for the Olympics.
"We are banking on FIFA to help us, we are not capable of doing anything about this situation if we don't hear from FIFA," said Olajire.
Meanwhile, while Nigerian stars are complaining, Schalke defender Rafinha and Werder Bremen midfielder Diego have joined Brazil's Olympic team without the permission of their clubs.
Schalke said it would seek to suspend Rafinha after he failed to report to a training camp Monday. He is believed to be with Brazil's team in Paris.
"We've written to the Brazilian football federation (CBF) and the International Olympic Committee asking that Rafinha does not play at the Olympics," Schalke general manager Andreas Mueller said yesterday.
"If the CBF does not meet our request, then we will go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport."
Diego, one of the Bundesliga's top stars, showed up for a photo opportunity at Werder yesterday but skipped practice to meet with club general manager Klaus Allofs.
After a 90-minute meeting that failed to resolve their differences, Diego left the club "without permission" to fly to Paris to join the Brazil team, Werder said in a statement.
The club will now take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Both Diego and the club will accept the CAS ruling, Werder said.
The German football federation (DFB) said it had forwarded Schalke's protest to FIFA.
Several German clubs have released players for the Aug. 8-24 Olympics, but top teams like Schalke are opposed to letting them go as they will miss the Aug. 15. start of the Bundesliga season and some European matches.
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