Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi has invited only 11
foreign-based players for the Senior National Team’s 2013 African
Nations Cup qualifying engagement with Rwanda in Kigali on February
29.
The roll celebrates the return of power-playing forward Yakubu
Ayegbeni and workhorse midfielder, Sani Kaita, both of whom have not
been internationally employed since the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in
South Africa.
Kaita earned a red card for retaliation in Nigeria’s second group
phase match against Greece in Bloemfontein while Ayegbeni has been
overlooked since missing a sitter against the Republic of Korea in
Durban that would have qualified the Super Eagles for the Round of 16
at Africa’s first World Cup finals.
Also called are goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, defenders, Joseph Yobo
(Captain) and Taye Taiwo, and midfielders Joel Obi, Dickson Etuhu and
Victor Moses, and forwards Ahmed Musa, Ikechukwu Uche and Osaze
Odemwingie.
Rapid-raider Ayegbeni, who scored for Blackburn Rovers in the English
Premiership on his return to action after a three-match ban at the
weekend, remains Nigeria’s most prolific striker since Samson Siasia
hung his international boots in 1999.
NFF’s Director of Technical, Emmanuel Ikpeme, said on Thursday that
the players are expected in camp on Sunday, February 26, while the
Nigeria delegation to Rwanda will fly out of Abuja aboard a chartered
flight on Monday, February 27.
Ikpeme also explained that all the 20 home boys who travelled to
Liberia will remain in camp in Abuja until Coach Stephen Keshi names
his army for the Rwanda match on February 26.
THE FULL LIST OF FOREIGN-BASED PROS:
GOALKEEPER
VINCENT ENYEAMA- FC LILLE LOSC (FRANCE)
DEFENDERS
TAYE TAIWO- QUEENS PARK RANGERS (ENGLAND)
JOSEPH YOBO- FENERBAHCE FC (TURKEY)
MIDFIELDERS
JOEL OBI- INTER MILAN (ITALY)
DICKSON ETUHU- FULHAM FC (ENGLAND)
VICTOR MOSES- WIGAN ATHLETIC (ENGLAND)
SANI KAITA- TAVRIYA SIMFEPOROL (UKRAINE)
FORWARDS
IKECHUKWU UCHE- GRANADA FC (SPAIN)
OSAZE ODEMWINGIE -WEST BROMWICH ALBION (ENGLAND)
YAKUBU AYEGBENI- BLACKBURN ROVERS (ENGLAND)
AHMED MUSA- SPARTAK MOSCOW (RUSSIA)
