Nigeria placed themselves on a collision course with Premiership clubs Chelsea and Portsmouth as well as German side Schalke on Wednesday when they announced they were recalling the three players expelled from its African Nations Cup squad.
Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu said immediately after the team's qualification for the quarter-finals that Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro, Portsmouth striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Victor Agali from Schalke 04 are expected to join up with the team before Sunday's last eight clash with Cameroon.
Chukwu revealed his plan after Nigeria's 2-1 win over Benin here had given them a place in the last eight.
All three were told to leave the squad last Friday after breaking strict curfew rules and were accused of indiscipline.
A plea by the players, led by skipper Jay Jay Okocha on Friday to Sports Minister Musa Mohammed was rejected by the former military officer who insisted that discipline would not be compromised.
However, the decision to bring back the three players will enrage Ayegbeni's club coach Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth.
Ayegbeni, 21, told the Premiership club that he and Babayaro and Agali were made scapegoats by the former African champions following their surprise 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the opening match of the tournament last week.
Redknapp said he was glad to have the player back to boost the team's battle against relegation.
"I don't give a damn about the African Nations Cup," Redknapp told reporters at the weekend after naming the striker as a substitute in the 0-0 Premiership draw with Wolves.
"He was upset at being thrown out, but I'm not. You can say people learn from playing against international opposition for their country but I couldn't tell you how some English managers out there are describing the Nations Cup.
"For a start I'd like to see it played at a different time of year so that it doesn't disrupt so much else. All that matters to me is that he plays for Portsmouth."
This is not the first time that trouble has brewed at Nigeria's football camps.
At the last Nations Cup in Mali two years ago, the Super Eagles threatened to boycott training on the eve of their semi-final match against Senegal over unpaid ticket fare refunds.