Was this a FIFA date for internationals?

[Enugu II]

Was this weekend a FIFA date for internationals?

[Ayo Akinfe]

Was this weekend a FIFA date for internationals?

No.

[Enugu II]

AYO:

If not, how come some of the European clubs released players for South Africa in the Cosafa Cup? Any ideas?

[Waffiman]

AYO:

If not, how come some of the European clubs released players for South Africa in the Cosafa Cup? Any ideas?

It depends on how important the player is to the club at that time. For example, a club may release a player because he wants the player to get some game for match fitness if the player has been injured.

If the player is important to the team like Bartlett and Fortune, they will not be released.

[Enugu II]

AYO:

If not, how come some of the European clubs released players for South Africa in the Cosafa Cup? Any ideas?

It depends on how important the player is to the club at that time. For example, a club may release a player because he wants the player to get some game for match fitness if the player has been injured.

If the player is important to the team like Bartlett and Fortune, they will not be released.

Waffiman:

Thanks for the response. I had intentionally put this up here and I hope this puts to bed the argument put up on this cite that no serious club would release its player for an international on a non-FIFA sanctioned date. This very point that you mentioned here was raised by some of us when the SE invited players who weren't major for the national team to play on a non-FIFA date yet others said that the invitations were ill-conceived because no European club worth its salt would release a player on such a date. The RSA example last weekend has again proven otherwise and so did the last African Olympic qualifiers also proved otherwise. Hopefully, we take note of this when the issue comes up for Nigeria in the very near future. Waffi, remember the point you just made above!

[Enugu II]

AYO:

If not, how come some of the European clubs released players for South Africa in the Cosafa Cup? Any ideas?

It depends on how important the player is to the club at that time. For example, a club may release a player because he wants the player to get some game for match fitness if the player has been injured.

If the player is important to the team like Bartlett and Fortune, they will not be released.

Waffiman:

Thanks for the response. I had intentionally put this up here and I hope this puts to bed the argument put up on this cite that no serious club would release its player for an international on a non-FIFA sanctioned date. This very point that you mentioned here was raised by some of us when the SE invited players who weren't major for the national team to play on a non-FIFA date yet others said that the invitations were ill-conceived because no European club worth its salt would release a player on such a date. The RSA example last weekend has again proven otherwise and so did the last African Olympic qualifiers also proved otherwise. Hopefully, we take note of this when the issue comes up for Nigeria in the very near future. Waffi, remember the point you just made above!

[Ayo Akinfe]

Enugu II, please let us not compare apples with oranges. The Cosafa Cup is a Micky Mouse tournament not far off the Lagos State Principals Cup.

Caf only sanctioned it because most of the countries in the region do not quialify for the ANC and need it as a way of justifying the need for a national team. To many countries in the region, the Cosafa tournament is their World Cup.

Nigeria does not play such moi-moi tournaments, so cannot afford the luxury of playing a match in which it knows none of its main players will be able to attend. Let us leave non-Fifa dates for the minnions of African football.