Brown Ideye Links 2014 World Cup Omission To Fallout With Agent

Former Nigeria striker Brown Ideye has claimed that his omission from Nigeria’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup may have been connected to a breakdown in his relationship with his longtime Nigerian agent.

Speaking in an interview on The Play Zone, Ideye said the issue began during transfer negotiations involving West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion.

According to the former forward, his Nigerian agent was handling talks with West Ham, while a UK-based representative facilitated discussions with West Brom, where negotiations moved faster and were closer to completion.

“I was left out of the 2014 World Cup squad because I ended my contract with my Nigerian agent, who had supported me throughout my career,” Ideye said.

He explained that while the proposed move to West Ham failed to progress, the opportunity to join West Brom presented more certainty, leading him to choose the Premier League side.

“The West Ham deal wasn’t moving forward, but the West Brom deal was all set. I chose the safer option,” he said.

Ideye added that the decision damaged his relationship with his agent, who felt betrayed by the involvement of another intermediary in the transfer process.

“I chose what was certain, but he felt I had betrayed him by working with another agent, and he became upset,” he said.

The former Nigeria international further suggested that the fallout may have played a role in his exclusion from the World Cup squad, alleging a close relationship between his former agent and late Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi.

“I told him I didn’t want any conflict, so we should go our separate ways. I 99.9 percent believe that was the reason I was left out because he and Keshi were close,” Ideye concluded.

Ideye was one of the notable absentees from Nigeria’s squad to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, despite being part of the team that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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