26th December, 2013
Sunday Mba, the Super Eagles’ 2013 African Nations Cup (AFCON) hero, may afterall not be available for the forthcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN), an official said on Thursday in Abuja.
The team’s Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, who disclosed this in a statement, quoted head coach Stephen Keshi as having expressed doubts about the player’s availability.
“Keshi said on Thursday that Mba was on his way to France to join Bastia, the French league side which first indicated interest in the player after the Nations Cup triumph,’’ the statement said.
It added that the player could leave camp as early as Friday, as he was not one of the players listed for the friendly game in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
If Bastia or Sporting Club de Bastia agree terms with Mba, he will be joining the club via the January transfer window.
SC Bastia or simply Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica.
As of now the club sits on the 13th position in the French league, Ligue One.
It made a return this season after a seven year stint in the lower league.
The club is managed by Frédéric Hantz and captained by midfielder Yannick Cahuzac.
Bastia’s main historical success include reaching the final of the 1977–78 edition of the UEFA Cup. The team was defeated by Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. Domestically, Bastia won the second division of French football in 1968 and 2012, and the Coupe de France in 1981. During the club’s infancy, it was league champions of the Corsican league 17 times. They are the local rivals of Ajaccio and contest the Corsica derby.
The club is owned by Pierre-Marie Geronimi, a French entrepreneur, and has been the owner since 2011.
The club have produced several famous players in its history. Claude Papi, Johnny Rep, Roger Milla, Michael Essien, Alex Song, Sebastien Squillaci and Antar Yahia are some of the players who had played in Bastia’s colours.