The invitation of Sadiq Umar to the senior national team of Nigeria has as expected generated lot of talks inspired by a certain section of the media that have been on his case over the past one year with unfair reportage and criticism.
Sadiq who broke into the Super Eagles for the delayed AFCON in 2021 has never been the favourite of some certain individuals. So bad that they even tagged his inclusion in the team on quota system forgetting that he was at that time the top scorer in the Spanish second division with over 20 goals for Almeria. The same team he ended up helping to promotion to the LaLiga.
As a matter of fact that year he scored a total of 40 goals because he was on 20 plus goals when he left Partizan Belgrade to join the Spanish side midday into the season. Some people didn’t see it that way and for reasons that can’t be explained.
Ahead of the last AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, Sadiq was injured in the friendly game against Guinea and despite pleading with the medical team to let him stay in the team, the narrative was twisted that he abandoned the team to play for his club Real Sociedad, ignoring the fact that he was sent out of the Super Eagles camp against his wish.
The allegations of abandoning the team was even fueled by those who were in the camp and knew that he wanted to stay, but was dropped and despite his club doctor revealing that the striker’s injury wasn’t as bad as it was made to look by the doctors of the Nigerian team. Many still didn’t let go forcing him to release a statement to clear the air.
After the AFCON Sadiq was back in the Super Eagles team despite a wild report suggesting that he will be blacklisted from the team for not wishing them well during their run to the AFCON final. Another false report targeted at making him look bad in the eyes of the public.
After both friendly games against Ghana and Mali respectively, Sadiq wasn’t given a minute of action in both games and shortly after reports, obviously false started flying round that he insulted then coach Finidi George. A story that was proven to be false but trended for reasons that centered on hate for his person.
Now his inclusion has generated another round of debate with many questioning why he was included in the team ahead of the likes of Cryriel Dessers, Tolu Arokodare and Josh Maja. So bad that many his region and religion was even brought into the discussion as possible reason for his inclusion.
No such outcry when a spot was reserved for the injured Kelechi Iheanacho at the AFCON or when Joe Aribo went to the tournament without playing a game in six months for Southampton. We didn’t get to read highly of it like the case is now.
Same set of people watched on when Iheanacho played both Super Eagles games in the World Cup qualifiers without playing a game for Leicester City in four months. So why is that of Sadiq different?
Your guess is as good as mine. There is an agenda against the forward but for what reasons? Probably known to only a few.
Even at his prime which include finishing as top scorer in the Europa League and also in the Dutch League while at Feyenoord, Dessers wasn’t involved with ten Super Eagles with Onuachu preferred ahead of him on numerous occasions. The outcry wasn’t this loud.
What has Sadiq done to be hated this much?
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
