The Nigeria star who swapped shirts with Argentina captain Lionel Messi at the 2018 FIFA World Cup has explained what transpired after he was criticised for begging the FC Barcelona man for his jersey.
The Super Eagles were dumped out of the World Cup two years ago after a 2-1 defeat to Argentina, and while the team was disappointed to not have advanced to the knockout rounds of the competition, substitute goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa waited in the tunnel to ask Messi for his shirt.
Ezenwa, who plays for Heartland FC in his homeland, was slammed by many Nigeria fans after a video showing him seemingly begging the Argentine for his jersey did the rounds on social media. He has now, however, denied that that was the case.
"There's what you call spirit of sportsmanship. Messi is a wonderful player, we all know that. More than a decade ago, 2008 in Beijing Olympics, they beat us in the finals 1-0 with Messi, (Sergio) Aguero, (Juan Roman) Riquelme," he told the Super Eagles Media Team on Instagram Live.
"Coming to meet Messi in 2018, it's a thing of joy so when I met him after the game between Nigeria and Argentina, I reminded him this is the person you met in 2008, though I was on the bench.
"Seeing him there again you have the right to go and meet him, he's a superstar, he's someone that the whole world recognises, world's best player.
"He was going to the tunnel, I was already going out then I turned back and I saw him and the same thing I did in Beijing Olympics finals, I went to him and reminded him about the Olympic finals in China, he laughed.
"I asked him if we can have a change of jersey and he said no problem.
"It was cold that game so I was holding my jersey and wearing my tracksuit. When I showed him my jersey with happiness, he pulled his jersey and gave it to me.
"He was about (to go to) a press conference and one of the officials brought a tracksuit for him. For me to hear people saying Ezenwa went to beg Messi for jersey – if for any reason I've not seen Messi before and it was opportune to meet a player of his calibre, you ask him for jersey, I don't see anything wrong.
"I laughed over it seeing it trending online. The jersey is in my museum, I have never washed it."
