A former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has broken his silence on the controversy that saw him, Victor Agali and Celestine Babayaro sent home from Nigeria’s squad during the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.
Yakubu said the players were wrongly accused of breaking camp rules and were not given an opportunity to defend themselves before being ordered to leave the tournament.
According to him, he, Agali and Babayaro had returned to their room after spending time downstairs when officials later questioned their whereabouts.
In an interview with Nigerian sports interviewer and YouTube content creator AY Suga, monitored by PUNCH Online on Wednesday, Yakubu said, “We didn’t break the camp,” insisting that the decision to send them home had already been taken before they were called to a meeting.
He recalled returning to his room after being told to pack his belongings, only to see a television report announcing that he and Agali had been sent home for allegedly breaking camp rules.
