Everton set to lose Yakubu to Nigeria for Nations Cup

Everton are likely to be without in-form Aiyegbeni Yakubu for a month early next year after the striker said he planned to play for Nigeria in the African Nations Cup.

The 11.25 million pounds ($22.8 million) club-record signing from Middlesbrough in August scored a second-half hat-trick in Everton's 3-0 home win over Fulham on Saturday, taking his seasonal tally to nine and Everton's unbeaten run to 10 games.

However, Yakubu, who fell out of favour with Nigeria after run-ins with the management earlier this year, now says he wants to represent them in the Nations Cup in Ghana from Jan. 20 to Feb. 10.

During that period he could miss five league games, in addition to FA and League Cup matches.

"I played a couple of games for Nigeria in the summer and, if I am called up for the African Cup of Nations, I will be going," he told today's Daily Telegraph.

"I will be a bit sad because there are important games coming up here but everybody wants to play for their country. I have to play for them and I am ready for it if they call me up."