YAK may play in Luanda against Angola on Sunday
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YAK may play in Luanda against Angola on Sunday
Okocha risks 90 minutes •Arrives Angola Thursday, to train only twice with Eagles
By Onochie Anibeze
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
When Nigeria line out against Angola this Sunday in Luanda, Austin Jay Jay Okocha may observe the early minutes of the match from the bench.
But that will be if the coaches have the guts to bench the captain whose name and performance have given him a seeming larger than life image, at least in the Nigerian context.
Okocha could not secure a seat to arrive Nigeria Monday and was not part of the team that left Lagos last night for Angola.
He has, however, sent words that he would be in Angola Thursday. He will fly in from Europe.
It means he will have only two days of training with the team before the match on Sunday. And coming from End of the Season holiday, his fitness will definitely be in doubt.
“If the coaches decide well, they may place him on the bench and ask him to come in later,” one official of the team said yesterday, adding “the man is just coming from vacation but as captain, he wants to serve his country.”
Twelve players were to leave for Angola last night and as they prepared to leave for the airport from their Ota base, assistant coach, Austin Eguavoen said “that’s a reasonable number compared to what we have had in the past”.
Joseph Yobo, John Utaka and Yakubu Aiyegbeni will join the team from South Africa where they had gone for commercial shooting with coach Christian Chukwu.
“Okocha is not with us but he gave his words that he will join us on Thursday,” Eguavoen said.
Asked if it will not be better to bring him in as a substitute since he was just coming from holiday in the United States and might not be 100 per cent fit Eguavoen retorted “that’s a probability that I’ll discuss with Chukwu when we get to Angola. Let’s see everybody first but we are mindful of the players’ fitness.”
Jet lag will rule Okocha out of training on the day he arrives Angola. It is nine hours from London to South Africa where flight connection could be made to Angola. And it is about two hours flight from Johannesburg to Luanda. And this is baring delays or duration of the flight connection.
For the purpose of boosting the morale of the Eagles coach Christian Chukwu may start him and later pull him out, depending on his endurance and result of the proceedings.
By Onochie Anibeze
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
When Nigeria line out against Angola this Sunday in Luanda, Austin Jay Jay Okocha may observe the early minutes of the match from the bench.
But that will be if the coaches have the guts to bench the captain whose name and performance have given him a seeming larger than life image, at least in the Nigerian context.
Okocha could not secure a seat to arrive Nigeria Monday and was not part of the team that left Lagos last night for Angola.
He has, however, sent words that he would be in Angola Thursday. He will fly in from Europe.
It means he will have only two days of training with the team before the match on Sunday. And coming from End of the Season holiday, his fitness will definitely be in doubt.
“If the coaches decide well, they may place him on the bench and ask him to come in later,” one official of the team said yesterday, adding “the man is just coming from vacation but as captain, he wants to serve his country.”
Twelve players were to leave for Angola last night and as they prepared to leave for the airport from their Ota base, assistant coach, Austin Eguavoen said “that’s a reasonable number compared to what we have had in the past”.
Joseph Yobo, John Utaka and Yakubu Aiyegbeni will join the team from South Africa where they had gone for commercial shooting with coach Christian Chukwu.
“Okocha is not with us but he gave his words that he will join us on Thursday,” Eguavoen said.
Asked if it will not be better to bring him in as a substitute since he was just coming from holiday in the United States and might not be 100 per cent fit Eguavoen retorted “that’s a probability that I’ll discuss with Chukwu when we get to Angola. Let’s see everybody first but we are mindful of the players’ fitness.”
Jet lag will rule Okocha out of training on the day he arrives Angola. It is nine hours from London to South Africa where flight connection could be made to Angola. And it is about two hours flight from Johannesburg to Luanda. And this is baring delays or duration of the flight connection.
For the purpose of boosting the morale of the Eagles coach Christian Chukwu may start him and later pull him out, depending on his endurance and result of the proceedings.
