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By Brian OliverÃ
Jeff Schluppââ¬â¢s Leicesterà team-mates celebrated wildly after his stoppage-time winner at Tottenham. Meanwhile his Ghana team-mates will have looked on from Mongomo, where they play South Africa in a crucial Group C clash on Tuesday, thinking ââ¬ÅWish you were here.ââ¬
Schlupp was one of several players at European clubs who did not make it to the Africa Cup of Nations because of injury.
Senegal were furious over West Hamââ¬â¢s perceived lack of respect in declaring Diafra Sakho unfit, and went to Fifa and the FA to demand that he should not play for West Ham ââ¬Åduring his specified time of unavailabilityââ¬. Sakho was included in the Hammers' squad for their FA Cup clash with Bristol City on Sunday and scored the winner as a substitute.
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson said, ââ¬ÅWe operated well within our rights and were totally transparent,â⬠in telling Ghana Schlupp could not go to Equatorial Guinea because of a knee injury.
Schlupp will not be the last man who recovers from injury to play for his club during the Cup of Nations.
à ââ¬ÅIt has happened before and it will happen again and again, until the date of the Nations Cup is changed,â⬠said Quinton Fortune, the former Bafana Bafana and Manchester United star. ââ¬ÅPlayers want to protect their club careers, and clubs want to keep their players.
ââ¬ÅThereââ¬â¢s absolutely no reason why it couldnââ¬â¢t go to June. That might be winter in parts of Africa but itââ¬â¢s still warm enough. Complaints that the weather is not suitable are nonsense.
ââ¬ÅBut knowing Caf [Confederation of African Football], it will never happen. They are very stubborn.ââ¬
There is no suggestion that Leicester, West Ham or other clubs have done anything wrong in declaring their players unfit for the Afcon.
Caf gave a swift rebuttal. ââ¬ÅThis is not a matter to be discussed,â⬠said Junior Binyam, Cafââ¬â¢s media director. ââ¬ÅIt has been made clear for ages that Afcon is to be played between January and March because, considering the weather, that is the best period to play such a tournament. Full stop.
ââ¬ÅFor the information of those who are calling Caf ââ¬Ëstubbornââ¬â¢, they are actually playing ?the Asian Cup now, too.ââ¬
Fortune is not impressed, and recalls his own experience to explain why he wants a change in timing.
ââ¬ÅIt happened to Benni McCarthy, it happened to me,â⬠he told Goal. ââ¬ÅPlayers want to protect their club career and sometimes they have to put that ahead of the Nations Cup. Itââ¬â¢s not their fault, itââ¬â¢s Caf.
ââ¬ÅThere comes a point in a playerââ¬â¢s career when it becomes a nightmare having to choose one way or the other. You have your whole country on your back if you donââ¬â¢t go, or your club manager if you do. One of them will be upset and youââ¬â¢re stuck in the middle.
ââ¬ÅIt happened to me, and it was tough. I had only recently joined Manchester United and had worked my way into the first team. I went to the Club World Cup in Brazil and scored a couple of goals in our last game there. I came back to England and I was straight off for a month to Mali [in January 2000].
ââ¬ÅLooking back, I regret it. I was just getting into the first team and I left. When I got back I was in the reserves and it took me a couple of games to adjust to the change in pace.à The Nations Cup is a tough tournament.
ââ¬ÅI spoke to Alex Ferguson and he just didnââ¬â¢t understand it. For him the club always came first. I probably would have preferred to stay.
ââ¬ÅIf it was my choice Iââ¬â¢d move the timing. It doesnââ¬â¢t make sense. Manchester City are paying ââ¬40m for a new player [Wilfried Bony] and the first thing he does is head off to Africa for a month.
ââ¬ÅI donââ¬â¢t think Caf will change it, but I hope they do.ââ¬