Portsmouth striker Aruna Dindane has revealed his delight at being able to play in the FA Cup final.
Front man eligible for Wembley date
Portsmouth striker Aruna Dindane has revealed his delight at being able to play in the FA Cup final.
The Pompey ace struck for Avram Grant's team in their 2-2 draw at Bolton on Saturday to cap off a pleasing week after being given clearance to play in the club's remaining fixtures - including the Wembley showpiece against Chelsea in May.
Dindane is on loan from French outfit Lens but sat out two league outings against Wigan and Aston Villa as a further appearance would have triggered a clause that would require Portsmouth to fork out a fee for his services.
The South Coast club can ill-afford the rumoured £4m payment given their dire financial situation, but the two parties have reached an agreement that will allow the Ivorian front man to complete the season.
A lot of spirit
A relieved Dindane told the club's
official website: "It is a relief that I can play again. If you are a footballer then it is frustrating if a bit of paper stops you from doing your job.
"But now I am back. I can play and I am enjoying being out on the pitch again doing what I love.
"We tried to do the best we could against Bolton. It wasn't easy but we kept fighting and showed a lot of spirit.
"It has been a difficult season for Portsmouth but the fans have always been great. I am happy for them that we were able to come back."
The fight back at the Reebok encapsulated the fighting spirit shown by Grant's side since their relegation, and they displayed admirable qualities to take a point as Ivan Klasnic put Bolton ahead after 26 minutes.
Excited
Kevin Davies doubled the lead two minutes later, but Dindane hit twice after the interval to take his tally for the season to nine goals.
And with demotion to the Championship already confirmed, the 29-year-old says his team will focus all their energies on ending a miserable campaign on a high.
"I hope I can do the same again at Wembley," he added. "It is such an important game and everyone is excited about it.
"We know there's nothing we can do about dropping into the Championship but we can do something in the cup final.
"Every player will work hard to be ready for the final and in one game anything is possible. We'll go there looking to win and I'm confident that we can do that."
