Former Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike has supported former teammate Chinedu Obasi’s stunning allegations that NFF officials and national team coaches operate a pay-to-play scheme in selecting players for national assignments.

Obasi had alleged in an Instagram Live interview with Lagos-based journalist Kelechi Bernard that he was dropped from the 2014 World Cup over his refusal to pay a bribe to unnamed officials.

The former Schalke and Hoffenheim winger’s comments caused a national stir confirming what many Nigerians had longed suspected to be the case.

Following Obasi’s comments, ex-internationals Taye Taiwo and Emmanuel Sarki also weighed in with sordid tales of their own.

Many have interpreted the revelations as evidence that the national team manager at the time Stephen Keshi was complicit in the corrupt schemes. 

Emenike, however, recounted a personal experience which casts doubt on that narrative.

Nevertheless, the former West Ham forward who was top scorer as Keshi led Nigeria to victory at the 2013 Nations Cup backed Obasi’s bribery claims as true.

“What Chinedu said, he just did not wake up to say this,” Emenike said according to owngoalnigeria.com.

“He’s been having this thing in his mind, he needs to take it out, and if I see any ex-footballer that attacks Chinedu, I will attack the person back because he’s saying the truth.

”For me, I have never paid anyone in the national team, and even when I did endorsement with Guinness, I tried to give Stephen Keshi out of the money which he rejected saying he doesn’t need anything from me,” Emenike who was also in the team to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil added.