Toon At Loggerheads With Nigeria AGAIN!
Last updated : 18 March 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor
The Nigerian Football Association (NFA) rejected claims from Newcastle United that the striker was heading to Lagos to see his sick mother. When Martins did arrive in the Nigerian capital there was hostile reaction to him missing the match.
The NFA threatened action on that occasion, and they are none too pleased that Glenn Roeder now wants them to excuse Celestine Babayaro from African Nations Cup duty next weekend.
The leftback has not been fully fit for Newcastle so the Toon boss doesn't want another Michael Owen situation, who played only 30 minutes in a Newcastle shirt in 2006, only to play for his country and suffer a horror injury.
Roeder does not want the 28-year-old defender to travel for the 24 March encounter against Uganda.
Emmanuel Attah assistant coach: "We have to verify his fitness, therefore, his club must release him as stipulated by Fifa. After all, Fifa regulations state that players should report to their national team for assessment by national team doctors.
"If our medical team declares the player unfit, then we will not risk him on the field. There's been so much fuss surrounding Babayaro's commitment to the national team. I think if common sense prevails, he should travel for this particular game to clarify things."
Babayaro last played for Nigeria at the 2004 Nations Cup in Tunisia but was sent home in disgrace along with Victor Agali and Yakubu Ayegbeni after breaching team discipline.