‘They have no right’ – NFF threaten to report Watford to FIFA over release of Dennis for AFCON:: All Nigeria Soccer

The Nigeria Football Federation have threatened to report Premier League club Watford to football’s governing body FIFA over the release of Emmanuel Dennis for the Africa Cup of Nations.

With a goal involvement of thirteen (8 goals, 5 assists), statistically Dennis has been Watford’s Player of the Season so far by a country mile.

The red-hot striker is expected to play his last game for the Hornets on January 1 before linking up with the Super Eagles at their training camp in Abuja but manager Claudio Ranieri has claimed that he may not be released to the Nigeria Football Federation due to a discrepancy in the timing of Nigeria’s announcement of his selection.

Speaking at the post-match press conference after the Premier League meeting with West Ham United, Ranieri responded when asked about Dennis : “I’m not so sure I will miss him now, I don’t know if he goes. Let’s think about it this week and then I will tell you.

“The national team has a time to send their precall, they don’t respect the days and I want to see very well.

“I know the email arrived late and I want to know everything. The email arrived late to call him.

“The national team has a time, during this time they have to send the precall, if they don’t send the precall, we can choose.”

Allnigeriasoccer.com contacted the Nigeria Football Federation’s international expert to shed light on the release of players for international matches, with special reference to Dennis and he insisted that Ranieri has no right to block the Super Eagles star from representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The top NFF official who pleaded anonymity said : “There’s a date, it depends on the window. If it is a one-off match normally two days before the five-day window the player has to have a letter and for tournaments it is ten days before the kickoff of the tournament.

“Claudio Ranieri will not even try it, FIFA will deal with him, even if we tell Watford a day before the tournament they have no right to stop a player from going to a tournament.

“Let him not release him and he’ll see what will happen to him.”

The Super Eagles already have issues in attack ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, with another club versus country row between Napoli and Nigeria brewing over the release of rehabbing striker Victor Osimhen  while Racing Genk’s Paul Onuachu has been ruled out of the tournament in Cameroon due to injury.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel