Posted by Reuters on
Nigeria have set a new deadline of Monday (local time) for overseas-based players to report to their African Nations Cup training camp in Portugal or be ruled out of the tournament.
Nigeria have set a new deadline of Monday (local time) for overseas-based players to report to their African Nations Cup training camp in Portugal or be ruled out of the tournament.
"Following further talks with English Premier League clubs, coach Austin Eguavoen has now fixed January 9 instead of Friday for all foreign-based players to report to camp or forget making the final 23-man squad," Nigerian Football Association (NFA) spokesman Robinson Okosun said.
Nigeria captain Jay-Jay Okocha of Bolton Wanderers, defender Joseph Yobo of Everton and West Bromwich Albion forward Nwankwo Kanu are the English Premier League players concerned.
The availability of several invited players in Italy and France is also in question.
Under the regulations of world football governing body FIFA, clubs must release players to their national teams 14 days before a major tournament.
The Nations Cup will hold in Egypt from January 20 to February 10.
Nigerian newspapers said West Brom manager Bryan Robson planned to ask the NFA to allow Kanu to join up with his compatriots after their match at Wigan Athletic on January 15.
"Nigeria's first game is on January 24 and he (Kanu) would still have a week to prepare with the national team," This Day paper quoted Robson as saying.
"We'll just ask the Nigerian FA to be helpful."
However, Okosun said: "That request will be against the new deal we've reached but we'll wait to hear from them before any comments."
Nigeria, who won the Nations Cup in 1980 and 1994, face West African rivals Ghana in their opening Group D game before taking on Senegal and Zimbabwe.