Amunike explains choice of Salah not Osimhen for CAF Award in trending video
52-year old former Nigeria U-17 caoch, Emmanuel Amunike has stepped forward with explanation for his choice of Mo Salah and not his prodigy, Victor Osimhen for the CAF Player of the year award as potrayed in a trending video.
In the video, coach Emmanuel Amunike picked Liverpool and Egpyt star, Mohammed Salah in what was thought to be a vote for who should be named 2023 CAF Player of the Year.
That video has generated bitter reaction from Nigerians who have tagged Amunike as ” Unpatriotic ” but the former Barcelona winger has promptly stepped forward to explain what happened in the trending video.
According to Amunike via a message on Sports Village platform, the question to him was to choose between Hakimi and Salah, for which he picked the Egpytian and not a vote that involved his Nigeria U-17 discovery, Victor Osimhen who eventually won the top-prize.
EMMANUEL AMUNIKE’S EXPLANATION
“First of all, I want you to understand the rumours that you guys are [spreading] concerning me not voting Osimhen. I was never elected to vote.
“On our way to the novelty game that we played in Marrakech here, a former player and captain of the Egyptian national team – who is preparing himself to become a TV producer in Egypt – with his group, he was debating on the Arabian team and he raised the question between Hakimi and Salah.
“There was time Osimhen was mentioned in that discussion. He came to me and asked ‘Hakimi or Salah’. I have to say Salah. And the reason why I said Salah was because I played in Egypt and I lived in Egypt and I know some of the guys there.
“So, there is nothing like voting against Osimhen. Osimhen is our player and our boy. We are happy about what he has achieved and we hope he would continue to dream and achieve more for the betterment of his career and the betterment of Nigeria.
“It has come a time in our culture in Nigeria – with all due respect to you guys, we should stop spreading false news and stop creating false impression to the people. We are journalists and our responsibility is to inform the public what is right,” he concluded.
OSIMHEN UNDERSTANDS WHAT HAPPENED
After being named the 2023 CAF Men’s Player of the year award winner, Victor Osimhen poured praise on Emmanuel Amunike for giving him opportunity to represent Nigeria at U-17 level and standing by him through the difficult moments.
On the podium in Marrakech, Morocco to receive his Men’s player of the year award, Osimhen elected to shower Amunike who was in the venue for the event with praise.
“He [Amunike] believed in me right from the start and was at the heart of our 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup victory in Chile.
He gave me the opportunity to really showcase myself and when things were not going well with me, he was the brain behind the motivation and it is absolutely right for me to acknowledge him at the biggest stage because behind closed doors, he has helped me a lot.
” He is present here and here to witness what he has produced,” an emotional Osimhen told CAFOnline.
This comments amidst trending criticism to the trending videos showed Osimhen understood his coach was quoted out of context.
RATIONAL THINKING: WHY WILL AMUNIKE WHO WAS SPECIALLY INVITED FOR THE CEREMONY IN RECOGNITION OF HIS CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH OSIMHEN ROOT FOR SALAH
Rational thinking backs Emmanuel Amunike’s explanation over the widely held belief that he rooted for Salah over Osimhen.
Amunike was specially invited by CAF to attend the award ceremony by CAF in recognition of his close relationship with eventual winner Victor Osimhen.
CAF understood the significant role Amunike has played in Osimhen;s rise from the streets of Lagos to football’s grandest platforms and so ensured he was in Marrakech for the event.
How then will the coach who discovered and groomed Osimhen with the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup winning Golden Eaglets set ditch his prodigy ditch his product for Mo Salah with few hours to glory.
