Aiyegbeni, Naybet Resume CAN Battle in England
By Tunde Sulaiman
Nigerian hit man Yakubu Aiyegbeni tonight strives to warm his way further back into the good books of his manager Harry Redknapp when Portsmouth hosts Tottenham Hotspur in a game in which three points are very valuable to both sides for vastly contrasting reasons.
The home team has started the season on a shaky note and lie just eight places off the foot of the table but only three points ahead of the bottom club Norwich. On the other hand Spurs under their French manager Jacques Santini is joint fourth with Manchester United - nine points a drift of leaders Arsenal. Hence the importance of triumphing which would enable one side move further away from the dreaded drop and the other to keep in touch with the pace setters.
In the last game before the Premiership went on World Cup break, Redknapp had warned his Nigerian international that he risked his place in the team should his goals' drought fail to end. He promptly responded by opening the goals' account against Norwich in a match, which eventually ended 2-2.
He continued with his nose for goals by saving Nigeria from the embarrassment of losing to Gabon in Libreville last weekend by grabbing the equaliser in the 1-1 draw.
Today he will be hoping to further repay the faith of the manager in his scoring prowess by guiding Pompey to only their third win of the season.
But against Spurs Pompey face a very difficult task. Under the former France national team manager the London outfit has become a changed side playing some very delightful football and showing the stuff that once made them the toast of England.
Spurs has suffered only one defeat so far this season - a 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United - and has already held Chelsea and Liverpool to draws, which was not the case last season.
In Morocco's skipper Nourreddine Naybet Spurs has one of the most impressive defenders in the Premiership and maybe detailed to police his fellow African as the London club set their stall to keep pace with the leaders.
Should this happen then both men will resume their Tunisia 2004 tussle in which the Moroccan successfully 'pocketed' the Nigerian as the North Africans ran away with a shock 1-0 win in the opening game of the Group D of the Nations Cup.
So Aiyegbeni has an additional incentive to do well against a man that made him look so ordinary in Tunisia.
For Pompey faithful though they will be praying that their Nigerian forward is able to get his pound of flesh against the Moroccan and pilot Portsmouth to victory.
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