Former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, has hit out at the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, over his remarks on blocking players based in the country from joining “mushroom clubs” abroad.
West described the comments as “insensitive” and “embarrassing”.
Pinnick, while addressing the home-based Super Eagles before last weekend’s friendly against Mexico, vowed to stop football agents from taking the players to unknown leagues in Europe
Instead, the NFF boss promised he would help the players join major leagues in Europe.
However, West told BBC Sport Africa: “You cannot keep people against their will in a league that doesn’t respect them, pay them, protect them or care about their welfare.
“Such comments from the head of Nigerian football are insensitive and embarrassing.”
West called on Pinnick to focus on developing the NPFL and advised him that “he doesn’t have any power to prevent any footballer who has access to move to those clubs he described as small leagues or ‘mushroom clubs’.”
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