Daily Independent Online.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2004.
Okocha, Kanu, Martins party as Eagles fall
Peter Edema
Senior
Correspondent, Lagos
While Nigerians
were mourning Super Eagles 0-1 loss to
the Palancas Negras of Angola on Sunday, skipper Austin Okocha led some
members of the team, including Julius Aghaghowa, Obafemi Martins, Nwankwo Kanu
and Ifeanyi Udeze to an all night party at the Green Spring Hotel in Lagos.
Okocha and
Aghahowa, who both flew into the country last Wednesday refused to honour the
Nigeria Football Association (NFA) invitation to play for the country against
Angolan in the 2006 World Cup and African Nations qualifier.
Udeze also failed
to honour the invitation extended to him by the football house for no reasons.
Martins and Kanu were, however, excused from the team due to injury and marital
commitments.
Okocha, who said on
Monday in Lagos that he monitored the game on television, and was sad about the
loss, noted that he missed the World Cup qualifier because he wanted a
break.
He was dropped from
the world cup qualifier against Rwanda in Abuja on June 5, over his refusal to honour invitation
to play in the Unity Cup in Landon last month.
"I'm sorry our
team lost but I've made it clear I want a break and can't be playing every
game," Okocha said.
"I'm not a
machine and I need some rest. People should consider the fact that it's been a long, busy season playing
for my club
Okocha's agent said
last Thursday that the midfielder was not available to play against Angola
because he could not get a flight to Luanda.
Nigeria, without
several key players, lost to an 85th minute goal from Akwa that put Angola top
of African zone group four with four points from two games.
Super Eagles coach,
Christian Chukwu blamed Okocha for the loss on the premise that he (Okocha)
promised to join the team in Luanda for the encounter.
