Nigerian duo return to Shakhtar
Friday, February 22, 2002
Article summary
Julius Aghahowa and Isaac Okoronkwo are set to return to Ukrainian club FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
Article body
Nigerian internationals Julius Aghahowa and Isaac Okoronkwo will return to their Ukrainian club FC Shakhtar Donetsk after a ten-day absence without leave following the recent African Cup of Nations in Mali. Club officials confirmed on Friday that the pair were contacted and are set to rejoin their team at their pre-season training camp in Marbella.
Okoronkwo arrives
After Nigeria finished third in the tournament, Okoronkwo and Aghahowa failed to rejoin their club. Okoronkwo arrived in Donetsk on Friday and will fly out to Marbella on Saturday. He implied that the reason for his leave of absence was a leg injury.
Aghahowa set to leave
Shakhtar vice president Mark Levytskiy said that Aghahowa was due to arrive in Marbella on Sunday. The striker, who scored three goals for Nigeria in the competition, has recently made comments regarding his future at the club. He said that he has found it hard to adjust to life in the Ukraine and that he has had difficulty learning the language. Aghahowa, who was purchased by Shaktar for about €3,400,000, said he would like to leave the club before his four-year contract expires.
Main hope for title
The 20-year-old striker scored eight goals in his first ten Ukrainian Premier League appearances for Shaktar in 2001. He has also earned ten caps for Nigeria in the meantime, scoring eight goals. His offensive partnership with Ukrainian international forward Andriy Vorobei is Shakhtar's main hope of beating FC Dynamo Kyiv in the title race, which resumes on 16th March. Currently, Dynamo and Shaktar are tied at the summit with 33 points from 13 games played.