The refusal of Super Eagles' coach Berti Vogts to allow President Umaru Yar'Adua to speak with the players on phone, ahead of their clash against Cote d'Ivoire Monday, has triggered a row between the coach and the Nigerian football authorities.
According to Nigerian football website, KickoffNigeria, the coach said Yar'Adua's phone conversation would be a distraction ahead of the match, which the Super Eagles lost 1-0.
Embarrassed officials of the Nigeria Football Associaton (NFA) however put their foot down, insisting the President's phone conversation with the player must hold.
"We were all shocked when he said the President could not talk to the players because it was a distraction," KickOffNigeria quoted an NFA official as saying.
"And we told him that the man is the number one citizen of the country and he could very well order the team back home, or refuse to release further funds for his programmes.
"How could we explain to the President that he could not talk to the players because the coach said no? We had to put our foot down and in the end, when the President called, he spoke to the players and wished them good luck," the official said.
The 61-year-old German has been under fire since Monday, when the Super Eagles were trampled by the Elephants in a match they were had been widely expected to win.