Nigeria captain Jay Jay Okocha believes his team blundered when they kicked Yakuba Aiyegbeni, Celestine Babayaro and Victor Agali out of their African Nations Cup.
"I wasn't happy that they were sent home because we all make mistakes," Okocha said on Thursday.
"They should have been punished here and allowed to remain with us. But now they have been called back, I hope and pray that they will come back but, to be honest, it will be very difficult for them."
As Okocha was speaking here, English Premiership side Portsmouth were insisting that striker Aiyegbeni will not contemplate returning to the Nigerian squad despite the three players being recalled after having their suspension lifted.
Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu said after the team's qualification for the quarter-finals on Wednesday that Aiyegbeni, Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro and Victor Agali from German side Schalke 04 were expected to join up with the team before Sunday's quarter-final clash with Cameroon in Monsatir.
But Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie told the English Premiership club's official website on Thursday: "Yakubu feels it is a great honour to play for his country and was greatly excited by the prospect of playing for them in this tournament.
"However the way he was sent home and the stories which were then given to the world media by the Nigerian FA have left him extremely sad.
"He and the other two players were doing no more than enjoying a quiet coffee within the confines of the club headquarters and because of the false stories which have come out he has been the centre of media attention for entirely wrong and unjustified reasons.
"The player would like the Nigerian fans to understand his position and says that he loves his country with all his heart but has been placed in a impossible situation and can't contemplate returning."
Chukwu revealed his plan after Nigeria's 2-1 win over Benin in Sfax had given them a place in the last eight of the African Nations Cup.
"The suspension has been lifted. The players made mistakes. They asked the country to forgive them and the country has forgiven them," said Chukwu. "If they want to come back, they can."
Aiyegbeni, Babayaro and Agali were told to leave the squad last Friday after being accused of breaking strict curfew rules.
A plea by the players, led by Okocha on Friday to Sports Minister Musa Mohammed, was rejected by the former military officer who insisted that discipline would not be compromised.
Aiyegbeni, 21, told Portsmouth that he, 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.