Victor Ikpeba, a former Super Eagles winger and a 1997 CAF African Footballer of the Year, has advised upcoming footballers to eschew greed and cultivate the right attitude to succeed.
Ikpeba spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on the sidelines of the Glo/CAF Awards 2014, which took place on Thursday night in Lagos.
He expressed regret that Vincent Enyeama, who was one of the nominees, could not win the footballer of the year award, adding that Yaya Toure was a worthy winner.
He said: “We have to think: are we really producing quality players in the past?
“We have good players but we don’t have to start referring back to the past because I don’t like it.
“Because I think we should give our young generation of players a chance to get to that level.
“They have to up their game.
“They have to decide whether to follow money in the earlier stage or to follow success.
“I think if you have to look at the history of the 90s, we went not for money.
“We went to the right club.
“We went to do well.
“We went to play against the best European players.
“We went to compete.
“These players’ attitude have to change.
“If they start thinking positively not about money, the sky is the limit for these players.
“It’s sad, but I hope most of them sitting at home now realise that there is no favouritism when it comes to choosing the CAF Player of the Yea.
“You have to earn it and Yaya Toure has earned it.
“It’s a challenge to other Nigerian players.
“They have to go out there and compete and challenge and yes, we want to be the African Player.
“It will come, but right, you have to play in the right club, you have to play in the Champions League, the Champions League is very key.”
NAN reports that Yaya Toure of Cote d’Ivoire won the Glo/CAF African Footballer of the Year for the fourth time in a row, while Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang of Gabon and Vincent Enyeama of Nigeria came second and third respectively.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
