Coach told us to leave the camp - Super Eagles legend opens up on controversial incident in 2004 AFCON

Agali, along with teammates Celestine Babayaro and Yakubu Aiyegbeni, was sent home by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for an alleged breach of team rules. 

The trio's tournament came to an abrupt end after just one match, despite being key members of coach Christian Chukwu's 23-man squad.

Despite their absence, a resilient Nigerian team went on to secure a bronze medal, defeating Mali 2-1 in the third-place playoff. 

Agali recounted how the late NFF president, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, had personally persuaded him to rejoin the team.

"The late Taiwo Ogunjobi approached me ahead of the 2004 African Cup of Nations and guaranteed me that everything would be fine and cool, which I agreed to," Agali explained.

Following Nigeria's 1-0 loss to Morocco, Agali described his need to unwind as a professional. "After the game, normally I’m a professional player... You go home after a game and try to relax and forget about the game because it’s gone, and then you look up to the next one. You can’t clear your head in the room, you’re not in prison."

"I was just in the bar in the same hotel with my guys – Celestine Babayaro and Yakubu Aiyegbeni – sharing wine, and we were just chilling," Agali stated. 

"Someone was checking the room and came to the conclusion that we went to a club, and I said, ‘What? Which club?"

The striker was stunned by the swift decision. "I was surprised when we were called to come to the coach’s room, and he said we had to leave the camp. Then I said, No problem, I don’t have anything to prove to you guys."

"Later, I was called that I had been forgiven and should come back, but I told them, ‘Guys, please, you’re mocking me. Forgive me for what? I already changed my ticket and can’t change it back. So I left."

Reflecting on the episode, Agali lamented the management's approach. "It’s a sad thing and that shows the level of immaturity we have in the system. 

“How can you win a major tournament when you have two of your key strikers kicked out alongside one of your best fullbacks?"

The incident marked the end of Agali's time with the Super Eagles. He never represented Nigeria again, concluding his international career with five goals.

Meanwhile, Agali has revealed how he discovered Maduka Okoye, explaining the goalkeeper’s journey from Fortuna Düsseldorf II to Nigeria’s Super Eagles.