Kanu warns - Asks players to avoid club/country row

By Dipo Ogunsola - 24.12.2007

Nigerian defender, Joseph Yobo of Everton (left)
vies with Manchester United’s Anderson during
a Premier league match at Old Trafford,
Manchester, north-west England on Sunday.
United won 2-1. AFP PHOTO

NWANKWO Kanu of English Premiership club, Portsmouth, has asked players to refrain from fuelling club versus country row as the countdown to the African Nations Cup (ANC) gathers momentum.

The ANC holds from January 20 and February 10 and European teams could lose the players for up to five weeks depending on the prospects of their respective national teams.

“As players, we don’t really know where we stand,” Kanu, who is expected to lead Nigeria to the Nations Cup, explained to the BBC.

“The timing of the Nations Cup is not players’ business and I hope all of us respect that. We all need to play for our countries and defend the colours well. We can only hope that our clubs do well when we are away.”

His club and national team-mate, John Utaka is also sympathetic of what becomes of Portsmouth during the Nations Cup but has no apologies.

“For Africans, the Nations Cup could be as important as the World Cup; we have to go and fight and have our minds focused on the event.”