Bolton to have Jay-Jay for one extra game

carbon · Post by **carbon** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 2:48 pm

Okocha boost for Bolton

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce could have Jay-Jay Okocha for one extra game next month before the Nigeria captain departs to prepare for the African Nations Cup.

Allardyce was resigned to losing his influential midfielder for about five weeks, shortly after the Manchester United game on January 7.

But it now appears that Nigeria have extended the deadline for Okocha and several other overseas-based players to report to their Portuguese training camp on Friday, January 16.

That would make Okocha available for the match against Blackburn on January 10.

Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu told The Vanguard newspaper: 'In as much as we need these players, we have to understand that their clubs can only release them 14 days to the start of Tunisia 2004.

'We have to be seen as a responsible nation which observes stipulated rules so that we do not create this club-versus-country row.

'The decision to allow some of the players to come to camp before the middle of January is not going to hinder our chances of playing well at the Nations Cup.

'These players are professional players who understand what it takes to do well at the big stage. I am confident that their arrival in January would not take the shine off our preparations.

'Those that would be in camp in December are players that can hold their own at any stage.'

culled from soccernet.com

Ebyboy · Post by **Ebyboy** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 3:46 pm

I hope Allardyce acknowledges the compromise and stops complaining.

Fourteen · Post by **Fourteen** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 5:03 pm

If anything this might make him complain louder. Give a man a metre and he will take a mile abi no be so dem dey talk am

Ebyboy wrote:I hope Allardyce acknowledges the compromise and stops complaining.

Chimurenga Rebel · Post by **Chimurenga Rebel** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 5:22 pm

Mr Allardyce has certainly been very vocal about Jay Jay Okocha going to the ANC. I hope this gesture from Okocha finally shuts him up.

Will this gesture from Okocha not affect Nigeria's chances in the ANC?

geminikoat · Post by **geminikoat** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 5:52 pm

Allardyce might as well kidnap Okocha for the entire duration of the ANC.

PapaK · Post by **PapaK** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 6:15 pm

good move in my opinion.

We should also check our ANC calendar and see if it is possible for him to go back and play the Carling cup semi-final match. Okocha is too crucial to the success of Bolton and Nigeria, so a compromise is a win-win situation in my opinion.