SCORENigeria can reveal that on-form Chidera Ejuke would have been the 16th foreign professional on the squad to the U23 AFCON in Egypt, but his Dutch club Heerenveen SC refused to release the winger for the tournament.
Heerenveen, who splashed two million Euros to snap up Ejuke from Norwegian club Valarenga this summer, flatly turned down the request by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to release the player for the tournament in Egypt.
A source informed SCORENigeria: “The club said the competition is not on the FIFA calendar and as such they are not obliged to release the player.”
Ejuke has already started justifying his huge transfer fee in Holland as he now has four goals in the league and a goal in the Dutch cup.
Coach Imama Amapakabo has now named 15 overseas pros and six players from the domestic league for Nigeria’s defence of the U23 AFCON championship.
