Yet they also suggest they may back down if the row causes the striker to fall out with his club
Ameobi was named in Nigeria’s preliminary squad for the Jan. 19-Feb. 10 tournament by coach Stephen Keshi but his Newcastle counterpart Alan Pardew said this week that the 31-year-old would not be travelling to South Africa.
Alan Pardew: “Shola won’t be going.
“The national team manager knows the reasons – which I am keeping to myself.”
Stephen Keshi: “Alan Pardew knows he cannot stop Shola from going to the Nations Cup because the competition is sanctioned by (soccer’s ruling body) FIFA.
“I don’t know what is in his head or what he is thinking about. I have never spoken to Alan Pardew in my life, I have only seen him on television.
“I don’t know why the English clubs are trying to stop their players from going. Do they feel these players don’t have the right to play for their countries?
“Clubs have to understand how important this competition is.”
Yep ... African nations like Ethiopia have sent out the begging bowls this Christmas, wanting TV viewers to save children in poor African nations.
But I ask you - how much is it costing Ethopia to send their team to the competition?
How much does it cost to actually run the African Cup of Nation?
Keshi: “I would not want to cause any problems for any player over something like this because it is his career and eventually he will have to return to his club."
2013 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures
Fixtures for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa: 19 January to 10 February
Group A
19/01/13: South Africa v Cape Verde (1600 in Johannesburg), Angola v Morocco (1900 in Johannesburg)
23/01/13: South Africa v Angola (1500), Morocco v Cape Verde (1800)
27/01/13: South Africa v Morocco (1700), Cape Verde v Angola (1700 in Port Elizabeth)
Group B
20/01/13: Ghana v DR Congo (1500), Mali v Niger (1800)
24/01/13: Ghana v Mali 1500, Niger v DR Congo (1800)
28/01/13: Ghana v Niger (1700), DR Congo v Mali (1700 in Durban)
Group C
21/01/13: Zambia v Ethiopia (1500), Nigeria v Burkina Faso (1800)
25/01/13: Zambia v Nigeria (1500), Burkina Faso v Ethiopia (1800)
29/01/13: Zambia v Burkina Faso (1700), Ethiopia v Nigeria (1700 in Rustenburg)
Group D
22/01/13: Ivory Coast v Togo (1500), Tunisia v Algeria (1800)
26/01/13: Ivory Coast v Tunisia (1500), Algeria v Togo (1800)
30/01/13: Ivory Coast v Algeria (1700), Togo v Tunisia (1700 in Nelspruit)
Quarter-finals
02/02/13: Gp B winners v Gp A runners-up (1500 in Port Elizabeth), Gp A winners v Gp B runners-up (1830 in Durban)
03/02/13: Gp D winners v Gp C runners-up (1500 in Rustenburg), Gp C winners v Gp D runners-up (1830 in Nelspruit)
Semi-finals
06/012/13: Winners quarter-final 2 v winners quarter-final 3 (1500), Winners quarter-final 4 v winners quarter-final 1 (1830 in Nelspruit)
Third place play-off
09/02/13: Semi-finals losers (1800 in Port Elizabeth)
Final
10/02/13: Semi-finals winners (1800 in Johannesburg)