Amuneke denies assault claims

Golden Eaglets coach Emmanuel Amuneke has rubbished claims that he attacked star midfielder Kelechi Iheanacho's agent Henry Galliano. The youngster was one of the stand out performers as the Nigerians emerged victorious at the recent FIFA Under-17 World Cup, scoring six goals and providing six assists, and his future has become the subject of much debate following his superb displays in the United Arab Emirates. The 17-year-old is represented by American agent Galliano and he and Amuneke reportedly came to blows this week, although the 42-year-old flatly denies assaulting Iheanacho's representative. "I neither assaulted nor slapped Galliano. We had a heated argument over the future of Iheanacho and that was it. He (Galliano) was insulting my nation, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and our philosophies in Nigeria and I told him that," the former Super Eagles star asserted. Amuneke did admit that a heated exchange took place and feels that Galliano is not the right man to nurture the prodigious young talent, but he also stated that it is not his decision who Iheanacho chooses as his agent. "I have no business with whoever Kelechi (Iheanacho) picks as his agent. It's not my job. I am a coach," he continued. "Galliano was insulting me so I went up to him, pushed him away and told him to stop harassing me. "He was shouting that he will give me money. He is a corrupt man and I did not want to have anything to do with him. "If he (Kelechi) wants my advice on how to shape his career, I will be here as a father to help him but that is where it ends."