This is why some senior players missed the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup

Former Super Eagles shot-stopper, Ike Shorunmu has revealed why some senior members of the team heading into the FIFA 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan missed out on the tournament.

Speaking to Sports station, Brila.net, Shorunmu said that the coach at the time, Festus Onigbinde had already informed some of the senior players of his intention to take younger players to the World Cup.

In reaction to that development, some top officials at the federal ministry of sports prevailed and the coach requested that any senior member that wants to make the team should give him a call but some of the top guys at that time did not honour his request, Brila.net said.

“There was a lot of debate – within the NFF and the Sports Ministry that, it’s not possible to go with the team to the world cup with just young players with no prior international tournament experience.

“The instruction from the Coach then was give me a call if you think you should be part of the squad to the World Cup,”

“I was in Switzerland, some journalists advised me to make the call because I have suffered so much with the team and I said okay – I hinted some of my colleagues to do the same then but they said I should do it cause my own case is different, so that was how I called the coach and told him I have to be part of the team for the world cup.”