Pardon my copy and paste:

Nigeria refused to make use of me, says Fashanu 
Written by David Ngobua     
Contrary to widely held belief among Nigerian football fans that Ambassasor John Fashanu shunned the national team each time he was invited to come and represent his country of birth, the former England international has said instead, it was the country that refused to benefit from his football talent.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja, the former Wimbledon of England striker said he made concerted efforts to play for the Green Eagles when Brazilian Otto Gloria was in charge of the team but each time he honoured the country’s invitation he was kept on the bench.

He said in 1985 when Nigeria played against Tunisia, he was dressed but ended up not playing the match because the team had players who were better than him.

Fashanu explained that it was not possible for him to break into the team because the Eagles then had fantastic players in Late Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal, Segun Odegbami, Henry  Nwosu , as well as foreign based players like John Chidozie and Tunji Banjo.
He confessed that in as much as he was bagging in goals in the English topflight, when he got home to play for his native country, he discovered that the style of play here was completely different and it was not possible for him to take the position of any of the players he described as amazing.

“I must tell you that I was not good enough for the Green Eagles. When I was invited to the national team under Brazilian Otto Gloria, I met the likes of late Muda Lawal, Segun Odegbami, Henry Nwosu and I must tell you these were fantastic players. They could dribble and do wonderful things with the ball.

“The style of play here was different from what I was used to back home in England. These were players with sublime skills. Mudal Lawal could dribble past three opponents at a time. It was a game of skills where the ball was played on the ground unlike where I was coming from. In England, it was aerial assault and physical challenge and that was where I excelled,” he said.

He maintained that each time he came home to play for the country, he was not used but the moment he returned to his club, it took him at least three weeks to try to get back into his club’s first team and so he was consequently warned against exposing his professional career to danger.

Fashanu noted that after nine years of fruitless effort to play for his fatherland, Bobby Robson who took over the English national team at the time he was the highest goal scorer in the English League decided to give him the opportunity to win his first cap for his adopted country against Chile.

He said immediately he was given the chance to play for England, he got in touch with the football authorities in Nigeria but there was no response from anyone and that was how he ended up playing for England.

According to him, when it became obvious that he was going to play for England, he invited the then Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida to come over to England and be his special guest of honour on the day of his debut for Britain.

“I requested for the Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida to come and be my special guest. Although he could not come personally, he sent the High Commissioner to go and represent him. And that was how I became the first black player to put on the white jersey to represent England.

Fashanu therefore insisted that it is only those who don’t know the facts about him that keep saying that he refused to pay for Nigeria just as he reiterated that he made efforts to play for his country of birth but was considered not good enough for the team.

Source: http://www.news.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1986:nigeria-refused-to-make-use-of-me-says-fashanu-&catid=45:sports&Itemid=28

@topic

that's not what we heard, i dont believe he ever honoured the national team's call. when he was about to become an "has been" in the UK that he made the leap to naija where he knows he would be accepted cos of his fake phonee.

Fashanu explained that it was not possible for him to break into the team because the Eagles then had fantastic players in Late Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal, Segun Odegbami,

i dont believe he was any match against them either, but that was not enough to lose his position in the team if he is as good as he claims.

Fashanu explained that it was not possible for him to break into the team because the Eagles then had fantastic players in Late Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal, Segun Odegbami

Na lie, he is just being modest, if muda lawal or Odegbami were that good, how come they couldn't make it to a top league in Europe? Fashanu just didn't want to play for naija because he is british at heart having grown up there.

And that was how I became the first black player to put on the white jersey to represent England

By the way, he was not the first black player to play for England.

“I must tell you that I was not good enough for the Green Eagles. When I was invited to the national team under Brazilian Otto Gloria, I met the likes of late Muda Lawal, Segun Odegbami, Henry Nwosu and I must tell you these were fantastic players. They could dribble and do wonderful things with the ball.

“The style of play here was different from what I was used to back home in England. These were players with sublime skills. Mudal Lawal could dribble past three opponents at a time. It was a game of skills where the ball was played on the ground unlike where I was coming from. In England, it was aerial assault and physical challenge and that was where I excelled,” he said.

Being a great dribbler does not make you a great player, it just means that you have some tricks in the bag or that you are circus entertainer because Okocha was a great dribbler does not mean that he was more effective than Ballack, Lampard or Steven Gerrard. So there is a biiiiiiiiiiiiig difference between been able to dribble and being an effective player.
On the other hand, maybe that is why Stefan Ekoku didn't play well for Nigeria.

dominique:

@topic

that's not what we heard, i dont believe he ever honoured the national team's call. when he was about to become an "has been" in the UK that he made the leap to naija where he knows he would be accepted cos of his fake phonee.


i dont believe he was any match against them either, but that was not enough to lose his position in the team if he is as good as he claims.

madam, negative !!!

he truly wasnt as great as 'em legennds stacked in one team . . .

and point of correction, its not that he didnt honour the national call, dont get it twisted

davidif:

Na lie, he is just being modest, if muda lawal or Odegbami were that good, how come they couldn't make it to a top league in Europe? Fashanu just didn't want to play for naija because he is british at heart having grown up there.


By the way, he was not the first black player to play for England.

Being a great dribbler does not make you a great player, it just means that you have some tricks in the bag or that you are circus entertainer because Okocha was a great dribbler does not mean that he was more effective than Ballack, Lampard or Steven Gerrard. So there is a biiiiiiiiiiiiig difference between been able to dribble and being an effective player.
On the other hand, maybe that is why Stefan Ekoku didn't play well for Nigeria.

Footie analysis is not ur forte . . .

dont go anywhere any it are u talking about Muda Lawal or Mathematical, arguably the greatest footballers that ever played for the country alongside the like of Adokiye Amasiamaka, Inua Rigogo, Thunder Balogun et al . . .ABEG STOP AM IF NA JOKE ! those players were far better than the Okochas and Kanus . . .forget the fact that they were home-bred

He couldn't have fitted in.The "police ball" style of the then English league wouldn't have afforded him the chance to adapt.

Fashanu had grit,we had skill in the then SE.

are u talking about Muda Lawal or Mathematical, arguably the greatest footballers that ever played for the country alongside the like of Adokiye Amasiamaka, Inua Rigogo, Thunder Balogun et al . . .ABEG STOP AM IF NA JOKE ! those players were far better than the Okochas and Kanus . . .forget the fact that they were home-bred

kitaun,
If they were all that great, how come they didn't qualify for the World Cup? or how come they couldn't get careers in Europe afterall, weren't the likes of Fashanu, Roger Milla and Abedi 'Pele' Ayew tearing it up in Europe? Please because someone can dribble does not make them an excellent player. A prime example of this is Denilson. End of story.

davidif:



kitaun,
If they were all that great, how come they didn't qualify for the World Cup? or how come they couldn't get careers in Europe afterall, weren't the likes of Fashanu, Roger Milla and Abedi 'Pele' Ayew tearing it up in Europe? Please because someone can dribble does not make them an excellent player. A prime example of this is Denilson. End of story.

stop shooting urself in the foot !

did Abedi Pele ever play in the World cup ?

did Fash the Bash play in the World Cup for England ? and what pedigree across Europe did he have ? who knew him beyond British shores ?

Roger Milla that tore Europe apart . . . what clubs did he play for and whats the pedigree of the clubs ?

and I wonder who told u that we didnt have players who were exports then ? OR MAYBE U TOT STEPHEN KESHI WAS OUR 1ST EXPORT

I Was Not God Enough For Green Eagles' - John Fash

Of course he wasn't. Even Pele could not achieve that status.

Of course he wasn't. Even Pele could not achieve that status.

Tocdee,
so how many world cups have your dear Green Eagles ever won??

davidif:

Tocdee,
so how many world cups have your dear Green Eagles ever won??

You are one thick bloke!! Read my post again and note the part in bold letters. By the way the topic title has just been corrected and I don't give a hoot about this discussion.

Fash said he was not good enough for the eagles,was that the verdict of d eagles coach then
after he had played for the eagles?
It is jst annoying.
Peolpe who played full ground,and one man who did nothing for the fatherland
is reaping where he did nt sow.
If he was nt good for the eagles,why does he think he is good for the presidential task force?
I dont blame him,i blame dos that invited him to d task force on d ground of his pfoneh

Fashanu is saying the truth. I watched the match in 1985 on NTA: TUNISIA VS NIGERIA, FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER FOR MEXICO 1986. Nigeria won the first leg in Lagos by a goal to nil, courtesy of the goal of Okey Isima and in Tunisia for the second leg, we lost by 2 goals to nil. He was on the bench all through and the then coach, Christopher Udemezue, did not feature him. Our saviour in the match was Peter Rufai. John Chidozie couldn't help us in the match even though he was our best export in Europe then.