We Won’t Be Seeing Jay-Jay Okocha’s Skills at The African Cup of Nations

There’s been a clamour in Nigeria for Berti Vogts to recall playmaker Jay-Jay Okocha for the 2008 African Cup of Nations. But the German boss of the Super Eagles is having none of it: “He is not playing regularly with [English Championship side] Hull City, which means he cannot even get a place in the Premier League. If a player is not doing well with his club, and is still getting injured all the time, how can he be considered fit so close to the Nations Cup?” It’s a very rhetorical question, and Vogts has a point. Okocha 2007 isn’t the player he used to be. Plus he officially retired from international football after the 2006 African Nations Cup, so time to move on people. Which seems to be what Vogts has done with his 31 man provisional squad for the 2008 AFCoN.

Also absent from the 31 man squad is Everton’s 19 year old Victor Anichebe. The promising striker has represented England at under-19 level, but has pulled out of several Super Eagle squads since pledging his future to Nigeria and it seems Vogts has lost patience. No problem though, as he has plenty of other young talent to call on after winning the U-17 World Cup in September this year and the Nigerian FA are delighted that Vogts has called three of those young champs - Kingsley Udoh, Haruna Lukeman and Rabiu Ibrahim - into the 31 man training squad, below:

Goalkeepers:

Austin Ejide (Bastia/FRA), Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei Yehuda/ISR), Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv/ISR)

Defenders:

Rabiu Afolabi (Sochaux/FRA), Danny Shittu (Watford/ENG), Onyekachi Apam (OGC Nice/FRA), Obinna Nwaneri (FC Sion/SWI), Joseph Yobo (Everton/ENG), Ifeanyi Emeghara (Steaua Bucharest/ROM), Kingsley Udoh (Akwa United), Efe Ambrose (Kaduna United), Taye Taiwo (Marseille/FRA)

Midfielders:

Seyi Olofinjana (Wolves/ENG), Dickson Etuhu (Sunderland/ENG), Richard Eromoigbe (Levski Sofia/BUL), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea/ENG), Sani Kaita (Sparta Rotterdam/NED), Onyekachi Okonkwo (FC Zurich/SWI), Yusuf Ayila (Dynamo Kyiv/UKR), Lukman Haruna (Crystal Academy), Rabiu Ibrahim (Sporting Lisbon/POR), Oladapo Olufemi (Boavista/POR)

Strikers:

Nwankwo Kanu, John Utaka (Portsmouth/ENG), Osaze Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow/RUS), Mannaseh Ishiaku (MSV Duisburg/GER), Ikechukwu Uche (CF Getafe/SPA), Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton/ENG), Ayodele Makinwa (SS Lazio/ITA), Obinna Nsofor (Chievo Verona/ITA), Obafemi Martins (Newcastle/ENG)