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  Expelled stars snub Nigeria return


Celestine Babayaro and Victor Agali on Friday joined fellow banished Nigerian teammate Yakuba Aiyegbeni in insisting that they have no intention of returning to their country's African Nations Cup squad.
The three were kicked out of the team for breaking a curfew last week but coach Christian Chukwu then lifted the suspensions, telling the three men they were free to return to join the squad here ahead of Sunday's quarter-final against Cameroon.
But Portsmouth striker Aiyegbeni said on Thursday that he was staying in England while Chelsea defender Babayaro was already carrying a hamstring injury and would have been unable to play.
Now Agali, who plays in Germany with Schalke, has also said he will not be taking up the offer.
"When I heard that I would be allowed to come back, I laughed because I had already resolved not to go back," Agali told the BBC from Germany.
"You can't expect me to go back and play in a good frame of mind after everything that has happened. Players and coaches are supposed to work together and not against each other."
On Friday, Nigerian officials here said they were still waiting for official confirmation from the three players over their intentions.
"None of the players in question has contacted us since the announcement was made allowing them to rejoin the team," said secretary-general of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Taiwo Ogunjobi.
NFA chairman Ibrahim Galadima added that the expelled players were to have written formal letters of apology after the lifting of their suspensions but no letters had been received from the absent trio.
"It was agreed that if the team win their matches against South Africa and Benin, they will be free to rejoin the rest of the squad but on the condition that they table apology letters to that effect," said the NFA boss.
"And so far we have not received such a letter from any of them nor have they even contacted us."
Both Babayaro and Agali have since blasted the authorities in the local press for sending them home, maintaining they will not be taking up the offer to return to the team.
"Who will come back after such disgrace?" asked one of the Super Eagles players, most of whom have publicly questioned the decision to kick out their teammates.

AFP


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Derniére mise à jour 30/3/2009