allAfrica.com: Nigeria/South Africa: Ghana 2008 - Kanu Defies Redknapp for Eagles

October 5, 2006
Posted to the web October 5, 2006
Nwankwo Kanu's decision to join his Super Eagles' colleagues in South Africa has angered his Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, who feels the striker should have remained in England to receive treatment for his injury.
Kanu, who scored his fifth goal of the season in the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspurs on Sunday, later limped off clutching his left hamstring towards the end of the White Hart Lane clash.

But rather than use the injury as an excuse not to make the long almost 11 hour trip to southern Africa, the Atlanta'96 hero left England Tuesday and joined his colleagues in Johannesburg yesterday.

However, acccording to reports in British tabloids Kanu's manager is not amused by the action insisting that the striker should have stayed behind to receive proper treatment on the hamstring so that he would be ready for Portsmouth's next Premiership match after the international break next weekend.
Kanu has all along shown his commitment to the national cause, which had often led him into conflict with his then manager at Arsenal Arsene Wenger, who has never hidden his distaste for his players putting country before club.
The former Ajax star had earlier told THISDAYSports of the Eagles' resolve to win all their matches in the race to make the tournament in Ghana next year.

His decision to go defy the wishes of his manager is clearly a way of showing his commitment to helping the Eagles fly over Lesotho.
Meanwhile, the number of players in the Eagles camp increased to 19 yesterday morning with the arrival of six players.
Kanu, Joseph Yobo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Chinedu Ogbuke, Seyi Olofinjana and Christian Obodo came in as the team prepared for morning training and were excused from it.

They rested in their rooms.
Obafemi Martins is being expected in camp this morning from Italy where he went to secure his South African visa.
Tuesday saw the arrival of Olympique Marseille of France duo: Taye Taiwo and Wilson Oruma.

Taiwo, Oruma, Onyekachi Okonkwo of Orlando Pirates, Esperance of Tunisia's Obinna Nwaneri and Joseph Enakharire of Bordeaux of France, are also in camp.
Abbey George (Port Vale, England) and Emmanuel Okoduwa (Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine) had their first feel of the ball with the Eagles Tuesday evening. They had flown in that morning but not early enough to catch the team's first training session since the Eagles opened camp at the Garden Court Sandton City Hotel in Johannesburg.

The Eagles coaches and players will leave for Maseru tomorrow for the match against Lesotho, which has been scheduled for 3pm local time (2pm Nigerian time) on Sunday.

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