It really could be 10 of the worst days in Peter Odemwingie’s career come Monday night. 

Not only is there a huge question mark over his possible inclusion in West Bromwich Albion’s squad list for their tie against Liverpool that evening at Anfield – a fixture that saw the striker score the only goal of the game last season in a thrilling first win at the historic ground since 1967 - but Sunday could see the his national side lift the African Nations trophy if they can get past Mali on Wednesday afternoon.

Most footballers would be delighted to see their country lift their continents major trophy but Odemwingie is no ordinary footballer.  The Uzbekistani born forward has represented Nigeria – where his father was born - on 55 occasions, scoring nine goals in the process, but has fallen out with the national team chiefs, including former coach Samson Siasia.

In December the Baggies forward announced that he was retiring from the national side after being left out of their African Nations 2013 squad, and he lambasted the countries FA in the process.

“It is clear now that my days with the Super Eagles are over,” said Odemwingie on December 22^nd.

“I played a very good 10 years from 2002 to 2012. It was getting there [to retirement] but maybe it’s happened earlier than I thought.

“I wasn’t keen to play for him [current head coach Stephen Keshi] if I didn’t have to, but then the Federation got involved and the Nigerian fans mean a lot to me, so I said if they wanted me to play I would go, even though I wasn’t still welcome.

“So when, in the first match with the new coach, he substituted me, I thought ‘OK’. After that he didn’t call me and I didn’t talk to him.

“The manager [Keshi] wants to present it in a way that has nothing to do with football, that I confronted him and said he couldn’t substitute me early. But we just had a nice conversation and I said to him ‘coach, if you don’t see me in your team, don’t try to find stories, just tell me. It’s very easy’.

“I don’t want to be with a coach who doesn’t want me, like the previous one [Siasia] for some reason.

“One day I will give the reason why I fell out with the previous one in the Olympic games and after.

“Nigerians like to be bossy and maybe it’s just part of it. The coaches like to be big men but it affects a lot of people and I won’t bow my head to anyone.

After this tirade Odemwengie was destined to never play for Nigeria again, both by his own choice, and the decision of the FA.  Will he be pleased to see Nigeria lift the Cup of Nations on Sunday?  I don’t think so.

Odemwingie is also having to deal with the fallout from his bizarre actions last Thursday during the final day of the January transfer window.

“We'll deal with it,” said his teammate Steven Reid on Tuesday. 

“We've got a lot of strong characters in the dressing room. Peter's with us from now until the end of the season and we've got to deal with it as a squad."

Reid may have said that the situation surrounding his barmy deadline day antics will not affect the club, and maybe the club will be fine, but will Odemwingie? Will he feel comfortable when he faces the press for the first time or when he joins in in training ground ‘banter’?

Again, it’s unlikely and Odemwingie will have to once again reacclimatise himself to the West Bromwich way of life, like an outsider joining the club for a fresh start, especially after the conflicting reports from last Thursday, with Odemwingie claiming he was given permission to travel to Loftus Road.

It’s unlikely then, that if the Baggie’s win on Monday, and Nigeria are successful in winning the African Nations – a tournament that this year, has been pretty dire to watch – the forward will not be all smiles for either club, or country.