By Izuchukwu Okosi: Former Super Eagles coach Adegboye Onigbinde has blamed the Nigeria Football Federation for the publicity mess of the international allegiance negotiation with Swansea loanee forward, Tammy Abraham, Completesportsnigeria.com reports. A picture of the Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick with the Swansea loanee from Chelsea went viral on Thursday prompting football personalities to express their opinions on the development. Tammy Abraham put out a statement hinting he is still available for international football in the colours of England following efforts by the Nigeria Football Federation to have him switch allegiance to Nigeria “Yes, we should beg them since there is no meaningful, functional developmental programme at home in Nigeria. It’s the football Federation’s fault here,” Onigbinde said furiously during an exclusive chat with Completesportsnigeria.com on Friday morning. “If we have had functional development programme, no player would be in position to take Nigeria to ransom. Ideally, the nucleus of the national team should be home-based.That is what I have always said, but nobody seems to be interested in taking that piece of advise. “Why won’t the young man make the statement on social media. I do not really blame him. What happens to the many talents in the Nigerian league back home. There are good players of Nigerian descent abroad quite alright but it seems they are practically begged to represent Nigeria now. “South Africa came to beat us on our ground with nine home-based players in their lineup, and we got the result we deserved with our foreign based players,” the football technocrat concluded. The Super Eagles squad list for the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia in Uyo is expected to be released next week.

Former Super Eagles coach Adegboye Onigbinde has blamed the Nigeria Football Federation for the publicity mess of the international allegiance negotiation with Swansea loanee forward, Tammy Abraham, Completesportsnigeria.com reports. A picture of the Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick with the Swansea loanee from Chelsea went viral on Thursday prompting football personalities to express their opinions on the development. Tammy Abraham put out a statement hinting he is still available for international football in the colours of England following efforts by the Nigeria Football Federation to have him switch allegiance to Nigeria “Yes, we should beg them since there is no meaningful, functional developmental programme at home in Nigeria. It’s the football Federation’s fault here,” Onigbinde said furiously during an exclusive chat with Completesportsnigeria.com on Friday morning. “If we have had functional development programme, no player would be in position to take Nigeria to ransom. Ideally, the nucleus of the national team should be home-based.That is what I have always said, but nobody seems to be interested in taking that piece of advise. “Why won’t the young man make the statement on social media. I do not really blame him. What happens to the many talents in the Nigerian league back home. There are good players of Nigerian descent abroad quite alright but it seems they are practically begged to represent Nigeria now. “South Africa came to beat us on our ground with nine home-based players in their lineup, and we got the result we deserved with our foreign based players,” the football technocrat concluded. The Super Eagles squad list for the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia in Uyo is expected to be released next week.