“I’m close to Ikpeba, Eguavoen” – Nigeria and PSG great Austin Okocha denies calling for sack of NFF board

Addressing the allegations on Lagos Talks FM, the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder dismissed the claims as baseless and expressed dismay over the spread of false information.

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The controversy stemmed from an online report alleging that Okocha had publicly condemned the NFF for appointing Malian coach Eric Chelle as the new manager of Nigeria’s senior national team.

However, Okocha was unequivocal in his response as quoted by Vanguard: “I didn’t grant any interview. I don’t know why the person that wrote that story quoted me.”

He further appealed to journalists to verify their sources, saying,

“If you want to talk to me, you can call me. We might have similar opinions on certain things, but let it come from me.”

While Okocha acknowledged the possibility of shortcomings within the NFF, he stressed the importance of respecting its structure.

“Even if you know that things are wrong in the NFF, you cannot say they should dissolve the NFF Board. There is a process; they are elected,” he explained.

Austin Okocha also highlighted his close relationship with key figures in Nigerian football, including NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, Technical Department head Augustine Eguavoen, and Technical Committee member Victor Ikpeba. He emphasised his preference for private dialogue over public confrontation.

“I am close to (Ibrahim) Gusau, Victor (Ikpeba), Garba (Lawal) and (Augustine) Eguavoen and being a football person, if I have anything to say, I’ll reach out and talk to them.
“I don’t have to communicate to them through the press. If I talk to them and they don’t listen or don’t see value in what I’m saying, then I can go public,” Okocha clarified.

Okocha indeed shares a long-standing bond with several NFF members.

The former Bolton Wanderers skipper and Eguavoen were teammates in Nigeria’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad. Okocha and Ikpeba were also key members of the Olympic gold medal-winning team at Atlanta 1996.