Hoffenheim have granted Chinedu Obasi permission to join up with the Nigerian Olympic squad.
Striker will join up with Nigeria
Hoffenheim have granted Chinedu Obasi permission to join up with the Nigerian Olympic squad.
The Bundesliga new boys are currently preparing for their first taste of the German top flight, but have been forced to allow one of their key men to make the trip to Beijing.
Obasi scored 12 goals in the club's successful promotion campaign last season, but at 22-years-old he qualifies to represent his country at the Olympics if called upon.
His decision to answer his country's call will mean that he misses the start of the 2008/09 season, but Hoffenheim have made it clear that they expect the striker to report back for domestic duty the day after Nigeria are eliminated from the competition.
"The pressure exercised by the payer and his family in Nigeria took on such proportions over the last few days that we could no longer ignore the question," said Hoffenheim general manager Jan Schindelmeiser.
Fortunate
Obasi is among the lucky ones who has been allowed to report for international duty, as a number of German clubs have refused to release their payers for the tournament.
Werder Bremen, Schalke and Hertha Berlin are among those reluctant to part with vital members of their squad, and have even sought the backing of the German Football Federation (DFB) in their fight.
