Nigerian football fans in the UK turn on Watford after the club refuses to release Emmanuel Dennis

NIGERIAN football fans in the UK are up in arms with Watford wishing the club all the worst in 2022 in response to its refusal to release striker Emmanuel Dennis to the Super Eagles for the forthcoming African Cup of Nations.

On January 9, the 33rd African Cup of Nations gets underway in Cameroon and in line with Fifa statutes, clubsides have to release their players to the national teams. Most English Premier League clubs have released their African players, albeit reluctantly but in the case of Watford, the club claimed that the invitation for Dennis came late.

This argument has not gone down well with Nigerian football fans, who are now wishing Watford all the worst for the rest of the season, hoping they get relegated. What makes the club's argument more bizarre is that Watford released William Ekong to play in the Nations Cup and to make matters worse, Dennis's replacement will be released about a week after he was called up.

Watford manager Claudio Ranieri, has insisted the dispute is over but he appears to be out of touch with the feelings of the Nigerian community in the UK. Yesterday for instance, the community celebrated loudly when Tottenham Hotspurs clinched all three points at the Vicarage Road thanks to an injury winner by Davinson Sanchez.

Watford is accused of threatening the striker and last Friday, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that Dennis had been excused from the Nations Cup squad having originally been included. According to the NFF, Watford had been baring its fangs to force his withdrawal.

Mr Ranieri claimed that Nigeria missed a deadline to inform Watford of their intention to select Dennis for the tournament and that administrative error gave the club scope to reject his call-up. He insisted that  Watford did not disrespect Nigeria if the African Nations Cup tournament but that explanation has not washed with the NFF or Nigerian football fans.

Super Eagles manager Augustine Eguavoen, said "We tried to reach out to the club but the club was like, no, we will not allow Dennis to go. Dennis also told me that his club had done everything humanly possible for him not be at the African Cup of Nations

"I can’t force it, I reported the matter to the authorities and they also tried. That was why we had to wait until the last second before we pushed the button."

‘Dennis said he wants to come but the club are threatening him, let me use the word, threatening him.  What do we do if a player does not want to come? What are you going to do? We have to play with what we have.

Responding to Mr Eguavoen’s allegations, Mr Ranieri said: "I think Nigeria has to speak to the Watford board and not the manager. I am the manager, the player stays here, I’m happy and for me it is finished."

While Dennis is remaining in England, other Watford players going to the tournament apart from Ekong include  Morocco pair Adam Masina and Imran Louza and Senegalese winger Ismaila Sarr. Mr Ranieri predicted that Watford will beat the drop even though a sixth consecutive defeat has left his own job in jeopardy.