Nigeria insist on Udeze

Salonika want Udeze to stay and play a league game

Nigeria are insisting on the release of their Greece-based wing-back Ifeanyi Udeze for next month's World Cup qualifying tie away to arch-rivals Ghana.

PAOK Salonica wrote to the Nigerian Football Association (NFA), saying they would not release the 20-year-old for the March 11 Group B match in Kumasi because of a "club engagement", said NFA spokesman Austin Mgbolu.

"They wrote to us saying they will need him for a crucial match against fellow first division side Panathinaikos that weekend and so cannot release him," he said.

"But we have replied saying we need him more for our World Cup engagement."

Nigeria could have their way by insisting to Fifa that the player turns up.

Avoid controversy

Udeze, already capped twice, was named in an all overseas-based 18-man Nigeria squad.

Mgbolu said: "We want to avoid any controversy with the clubs of our players.

"But the clubs have to realise we need the players for international games, especially crucial ones like this."

Players' availability for club or country engagements is a thorny issue and the Nigerians have been involved in a series of rows in the past over the release of their players for international games.

Nigeria face a strong challenge from Liberia and Ghana in Group B.