Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis informed Super Eagles interim coach Austin Eguavoen that his club threatened him with missing the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.
Dennis allegedly told Egyavoen that he wanted to be a member of Nigeria’s squad for the AFCON this year, but Watford did all in their power to prevent him from attending.
Dennis was one of four Super Eagles players who were replaced in the squad for the AFCON in Cameroon in January.
After his Premier League team refused his release to participate at the AFCON, the 24-year-old was replaced in the Super Eagles’ 28-man roster on Friday by Olympiacos’ Henry Onyekuru.
“Dennis told me that his club had done everything possible to keep him from attending the AFCON,” Eguavoen said on NFF TV.
“I can’t force it; I reported it to authority, and they tried as well; that’s why we had to push the button at the last possible moment.”
“Dennis expressed an interest in attending, but the club has threatened him. What are we going to do if a player refuses to come? We’ll have to make do with what we have. Based on that, I appreciate the enthusiasm because I just told Onyekuru once and he was pleased.
“At first, he was an important member of this group, and I was sad that some of them wouldn’t be able to go, but decisions must be made.” Shehu Abdullahi also mentioned that the report came out that he’s been wounded and he’s going to be out for ten days to two weeks, and we reached out to Tyronne and he’s going to be out for ten days to two weeks as soon as that opening was there.
Source; Detectmind.com
