martins Scores As Kanu Remains Out At Portsmouth

Obafemi Martins (VFL Wolfsburg): Eagles striker Martins returned to goal-scoring form on Saturday, helping his German Bundesliga outfit, Wolfsburg to a 4-1 win over VFL Bochum in their league encounter. The powerful striker netted his side's second goal after Wolfsburg top striker Edin Dzeko had cancelled the visitors' shock lead before the interval. It was Martins' sixth goal in five Bundesliga starts and six sub appearances this season.
Obagoal as he is fondly called would be delighted to have returned to scoring form barely a week after the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF named a new technical adviser for the Eagles ahead of our participation at the World Cup in South Africa. The former Inter Milan ace has dropped down the pecking order in Wolfsburg's attacking line.
Austria
Rabiu Afolabi (Salzburg): Out of favour Super Eagles defender, Afolabi was once again in action for his Austrian top club, Salzburg as they were held to a 1-1 draw last weekend at home by Neustadt.
The former Sochaux star who scored his side's winner the previous week away to Rapid Vienna played the entire game again on Saturday but could not replicate his goal scoring touch this time around as Neustadt claimed a share of the spoils.
Afolabi has made 16 starts for Salzburg who are still enjoying their top spot on the Austrian Premier League table, six points adrift of their closest rivals Austrian Wien.
England
Nwankwo Kanu & John Utaka (Portsmouth): Our national team captain, Kanu said he could not understand why coach Shuaibu Amodu benched him for the most part of the Super Eagles campaign at the African Cup of Nations in Angola, perhaps he also has to query his club manager Avram Grant who has continued to offer him the same treatment at Portsmouth. Kanu played on 12 minutes in Nigeria's opening game defeat to the Pharaohs of Egypt but he did not return to action in the competition until the third place game, where he won the man of the match in our victory over Algeria.
Papilo as he is fondly called was expectedly not happy with the way he was sidelined at the tournament but the former Ajax, Inter Milan and Arsenal star has only played a combined total of 60 minutes since returning to his club from Angola since the first week of February - just two substitute appearances out of five games between that time and now. The Eagles captain, who is still hoping to lead our national team to the World Cup will need to show he is more than an off-the-field skipper and it will be interesting to see how the new Eagles handler Lars Lagerback, manages his situation.
Kanu has only started three Premier League games since September last year and made 14 other sub appearances.
While Kanu was left on the bench again for the third successive game in Saturday's FA Cup win over Birmingham last weekend, his compatriot, Utaka has continued to impress Pompey manager, Grant, and he was again rewarded with a 90 minutes appearance, to help the troubled club qualify for the semi finals of the glamorous competition.
Dickson Etuhu (Fulham): Nigeria midfielder, Etuhu was on for the entire duration of the game as his club, Fulham were held to a goalless draw by Tottenham Hotspurs at Craven Cottage in their FA Cup quarter final clash last Saturday.
The former Manchester City midfielder who has made 15 appearances for the club this season was however booked in the 89th minute of the game, his fourth yellow card this season.
France
Olubayo Adefemi (US Boulogne): Adefemi was nowhere to be found as his relegation-threatened side, Boulogne, failed to take advantage of playing at home after being held to a goalless draw by Olympique Lyon last weekend.
The former Rapid Bucharesti of Romania defender has only made 11 appearances since joining the newly promoted French Ligue 1 side last summer and he would need to work hard to get back into the first team if he hopes to be part of the Eagles squad to the World Cup in South Africa, particularly after being left out of the Nations Cup in Angola.
Spain
Kalu Uche (Almeira): Eagles midfielder, Uche was a 74th minute substitute for Albert Crusat as his La Liga club, Almeira held Spanish champions, Barcelona to a 2-2 draw at his club's Estadio Meditarraneo arena Saturday night.