Westerhof Mooted Dropping Emenalo to Accommodate Me, Says Babangida

Former Ajax Amsterdam forward, Tijani Babangida has shed light on the selection controversy surrounding Nigeria’s squad for the 1994 Fifa World Cup in the United States.

The former Super Eagles winger revealed that manager Clemens Westerhof considered dropping defender, Michael Emenalo to accommodate him, but unnamed Nigeria Football Federation officials rejected the proposal.

1994 Africa Cup of Nations winners Finidi George and Victor Ikpeba were ahead of Babangida in Westerhof’s pecking order for the right wing position.

Nigeria’s decision to include Emenalo in the World Cup squad proved justified as the former RWD Molenbeek defender provided cover for first choice left-back Benedict Iroha.

Iroha suffered a groin injury during Nigeria’s historic 3-0 victory over Bulgaria and missed the remainder of the tournament.

Despite not being officially registered for the 1994 World Cup, Babangida remained with the squad, training and living alongside his teammates throughout the tournament.

“Clemens Westerhof had no option but I came in at the last minute and Nigerians felt I had to go to the World Cup,” Babangida said on the Home Turf Podcast.

“He had to drop Victor Ikpeba and to him it is not fair dropping Ikpeba, but he told them he could drop Emenalo because he is from the defence. They told him no that I am an attacker.

“So that is why I was not registered for the 1994 World Cup but I followed the team to the World Cup.

“I was with them, trained and slept with them. We do everything together except going to the field.”

Four years after missing out on Nigeria’s official squad for the 1994 World Cup, Babangida featured prominently at France 1998, playing in all four of the Super Eagles’ matches and scoring against Denmark in the round of 16.