Brown Ideye Focused On Earning Eagles Recall

As the Super Eagles begin their 2018 World Cup qualification campaign in Swaziland this weekend, Olympiakos forward Brown Ideye said how missing out on the last world cup in Brazil affected him. “For sometime I could not sleep. My wife helped me a lot by always telling me that greater things are in store for me in the future”.

Ideye was one of the regulars for the then coach Stephen Keshi team that won the AFCON in 2013. He also featured regularly through the world cup qualifiers so it was surprise he was not named in the 23 man squad for Brazil. “I was still at Dynamo Kiev and I got a phone call by a friend who told me my name was not on the list he had seen – my friend was almost in tears as he spoke to me. I thought it was a joke. The most painful period was watching the tournament. I supported the team but I felt bad that I was not able to help my country out”. Ideye’s last cap was in Calabar in November of 2013 as qualification was sealed for Brazil. He has not been called by the new coach he still wants to play for Nigeria “I am a Nigerian and always will be available for Nigeria whenever I am called. There is a new coach who is building a new team. I believe that as long as I keep playing well and scoring and providing assists at Olympiakos I believe I will get a call”.

Ideye is the leading striker for Olympiakos who sit joint top with Bayern Munich in their Champions League group that has Arsenal bottoming it. He is one of those strikers who is prepared to sacrifice a lot for his team mates “maybe that is what I am paying the price for now” Ideye says laughing. “Honestly, I want to score but I will not attempt to score when I know I have a team mate in a better position”. It is perhaps this attitude that made his then partnership with Emmanuel Emenike that took Nigeria to that AFCON title. His absence has been attributed to Emenike’s drought for the national team before his retirement “people say this a lot that but it is probably a coincidence. Yes I had a good relationship off the pitch with Emenike which helped us on it”.

Brown Ideye is massively proud to flaunt his MON national honour as he does on his social media accounts. If Obafemi Martins can make a return to the Super Eagles while playing in the MLS then there surely must be hope for a striker playing in the UEFA Champions League as long as he keeps playing and scoring. Time will reveal.