AFRICAN Footballer of the Year Nwankwo Kanu has been ordered to report to Nigeria’s African Nations Cup training camp by Friday at the latest despite his English club Arsenal insisting that he must play a cup game this weekend.
“Kanu’s release is not negotiable,” said the secretary-general of Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Tijjani Yusuf.
“Kanu as well as Celestine Babayaro of Chelsea have until Friday to join the Eagles in Spain. By that time we will be well within the FIFA rule that allows us to have the players 14 days before a major championship,” he said.
“Arsene Wenger has held on to him for more than is necessary”, said another Eagles coach Shuaibu Amodu.
Kanu himself told a local radio station monitored here that “as soon as Arsenal release me, I will join the team. Nigeria is my fatherland and I am always happy to play for the Eagles.”
Nigeria has experienced difficulties getting its key players starring in top European teams in time for its build-up matches to the African Nations Cup, which it will co-host with Ghana from January 22.
It has asked both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to intervene.