Posted by SA Soccer on
Nigerian captain Austin "Jay Jay" Okocha has slammed his team-mate Yakubu Aiyegbeni over his decision to quit the Super Eagles' squad for the 2006 African Nations Cup.
Nigerian captain Austin "Jay Jay" Okocha has slammed his team-mate Yakubu Aiyegbeni over his decision to quit the Super Eagles' squad for the 2006 African Nations Cup.
According to the Daily Champion, Okocha described the Middlesbrough forward as a frustrated person who quit because he could not command a first team shirt in the Super Eagles squad.
Aiyegbeni, who is one of the leading goal scorers in the English Premiership this season with eleven goals, had blamed the sour relationship between him and team coach Austin Eguavoen for his decision.
"I can understand Yakubu's frustration because he has not been able to command a regular shirt in the Nigerian squad and it will not be nice if he goes and does not play and then loses his position at his club," said Okocha.
He added: "In my opinion, there are better ways of doing things than the way Yakubu did it.
"There's nothing much between Yakubu and the national team coach. It's just that at the moment he's not a regular in the team."
The Nigerian skipper believes that the national team will excel at the Nations Cup even after he confirmed that he will quit the Eagles at the end of the tournament.
"There was a lot of pressure on me to quit after Nigeria's failure to qualify for the World Cup in Germany but I said to myself I have to give something back.
"I have to show that I have been committed to the Nigerian national team by going to the Nations Cup and to show my appreciation to the fans back home.
"We can go all the way in Egypt even though it's going to be difficult, but I have no doubt in the ability of our squad" he said.