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Kanu, Utaka Seek Historic FA Cup Win with Portsmouth

Written by Adeleke Afolayan

Friday, 16 May 2008

When the FA Cup is decided this weekend in England, it would be the first time since 1995 that the oldest Cup competition in the world will witness a final without at least on of the professed ‘Big Four’ of the league.

In 1995, it was Everton with former Super Eagles hard man and current Assistant Coach of the Nigerian national team Daniel Amokachi that won the coveted trophy, becoming the first Nigerian to do so.

Since then, Nwankwo Kanu with Arsenal and John Mikel Obi with Chelsea have lifted the Cup in 1998, 2000 and last season respectively and Kanu can lift that trophy a third time as a Portsmouth player.

The Super Eagles captain is joined by national team colleague John Utaka who gradually has returned from injury to lay claim for a starting shirt at the famous Wembley Stadium on Saturday and go on to win his first trophy in England in his debut season at Pompey.

Portsmouth however has been on a poor run of form, losing their last four Premier League matches and drawing a fifth. Obviously manager Harry Redknapp has decided to cool his squad ahead of the final against Championship side Cardiff City.

That could turn out to be a gamble to expensive for Redknapp especially as his Pompey club were within distance of a UEFA Cup spot from the league before failing to win their final five games.

And with Cardiff, a Welsh side in the English league, guaranteed a spot in the UEFA Cup next season should they win this weekend, Cardiff would be fired up to become the first Championship side to win the Cup since Milwall in 2004.

The Welsh side also come into the crunch game in good FA Cup form, having not conceded a goal since the fourth round. The club also has veterans Jimmy Floyd Hasseilbank and Trevor Sinclair in their fold, making them no pushovers.

Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler would also undergo a late fitness test in order to feature against Portsmouth for what would be his first game in over two months.

Portsmouth meanwhile will be without top scorer Jermain Defoe who is cup tied. The fringe England striker has scored eight goals of Portsmouth 17 in the clubs last 17 matches in all competitions.

Without him, Portsmouth would find scoring a bit more difficult than usual, which is evident in the lone goal wins recorded in the last three rounds of the Cup and failure to score in the last three Premier League matches.

To cap the odds against Pompey, their manager Redknapp has not won the FA Cup in his entire football career, as a player or as coach, and this also happens to be his first appearance at the final of the FA Cup.

Both sides would be out to win only their second FA Cup trophy, a first since over half a century ago. Famously, Portsmouth held the trophy for seven years since 1939 as the competition went into abeyance due to the Second World War which started afterwards. Cardiff last won the trophy in 1927.

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