Udeze Discusses Players’ Balancing Act Between Club and Country

Former Super Eagles defender Ifeanyi Udeze revealed the fierce tug‑of‑war between Greek club PAOK FC and the Nigeria Football Federation over his availability for international duty during his playing career.

Udeze, who earned two caps for Nigeria at the 2002 World Cup, spoke about the challenges many players face when trying to balance club commitments with the chance to represent the Super Eagles.

The ex‑defender first gained international attention at the inaugural UEFA‑CAF Meridian Cup in Portugal in 1997, a tournament that also showcased future stars such as Spain’s Xavi Hernandez and Portuguese legend Simao Sabrosa.

Speaking on the 5th House Podcast, Udeze recalled the difficult decision he had to make shortly after joining PAOK when he received an invitation to represent Nigeria at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

According to the former left‑back, the PAOK coach warned that accepting the invitation could jeopardise his place in the first team.

“Sydney 2000, I was supposed to be there because I just moved from one club to another. So, I have to establish myself as a first‑team player there,” Udeze said.

“So, the coach called me when the invitation came to Sydney, is either you choose the national team or you choose to stay here?”

“But know one thing, if you go to the national team, if you come back, you will start fresh. There’s no automatic shirt for you. So you will start fresh to see if you will be a first‑team player in my team.”

Udeze further explained that the club‑vs‑country struggle continued in 2001 ahead of Nigeria’s FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Ghana in Accra.

The former West Brom defender, who delivered an outstanding performance in the encounter, said PAOK initially refused to release him despite repeated requests from the NFF.

He described the dispute as so intense that he found himself caught between both parties, with conflicting messages being exchanged.

“In 2001 as well, our World Cup qualifiers against Ghana, we played 1‑1 in Accra. I think I was the Man of the Match in the game,” he explained.

“What happened before the game, my club (PAOK) refused to release me. I think our coach in the national team was Bonfrère Jo.”

“It is not a small battle between my club, me, and the NFF. I was in the middle.”

“NFF will send a fax to my club, my club will send back to NFF that I refuse to honour the invitation. Whereas, they are the ones who told me not to go.”

Udeze noted that PAOK were determined to keep him because he had become an important member of the squad and the club feared losing him to injury during international duty.

“I am a first‑team player now. We have about three or four important games and they need me. They don’t want me to go and come back with injury. So, they try to protect me.”

Despite the pressure from his employers, Udeze insisted he was determined to honour Nigeria’s call‑up.

“I told them to talk to NFF and I won’t tell them that – I have told them I want to come,” he added.

“My club said, if you go see what will happen and I told them whatever wants to happen, let it happen.”

The former international also disclosed that the disagreement eventually had financial consequences, claiming the Greek side withheld bonuses owed to him under the terms of his contract.

“But at the end of the day, my club owes me that money. There is this clause on my contract where I get 25 euro every one minute apart from my match bonus. For a whole season, they refused to pay me that money.”

Despite the obstacles, Udeze remained committed to representing Nigeria whenever called upon.

His determination ultimately saw him establish himself as a key figure in the national team setup, earning 35 caps for the Super Eagles.