Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi, Joseph
Yobo made Nigeria’s final list as expected to the 2013 Africa Nations
Cup starting January 19 in South Africa. They lead 21 others including
Ukraine-based Brown Ideye who made the team despite originally being
rumoured as cut from the team by coach Stephen Keshi. The Nigeria
coached released the final team list while the country engaged Cape
Verde in a friendly match in Faro, Portugal Wednesday night. The match
ended goalless.
Nigeria Captain Joseph Yobo will play in
his sixth Africa Cup of Nations finals. The 32-year old defender had
previously played at the 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 finals, winning
bronze on four occasions.
Vice captain and first choice goalkeeper
Vincent Enyeama and forward Ikechukwu Uche are also included in the
team that Keshi held on to the list insisting he could only make public
after the first half of the Wednesday match. January 9 was the last day
for submission of team list according to the Confederation of African
timetable.
The list may have been as widely
expected but Keshi surprised many when he chose to drop Bright Dike from
the team. Keshi had spoken highly of the America-based Dike who also
scored the country lone goal against Catalonia last week in a friendly
match which gave the inkling that the rookie striker could make the cut.
Apart from Yobo, goalkeepers Enyeama and
Austin Ejide, defender Elderson Echiejile, Mikel and forward Uche who
were at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, the rest will be
making their debut in South Africa.
It will be the first appearance for
goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Efe Ambrose,
Azubuike Egwuekwe, Juwon Oshaniwa and Godfrey Oboabona, midfielders Nosa
Igiebor, Ogenyi Onazi, Obiora Nwankwo, Fegor Ogude and Reuben Gabriel,
and strikers Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel Emenike, Sunday Mba, Ideye, Victor
Moses and Ejike Uzoenyi.
Nigeria will play Burkina Faso, Zambia
and Ethiopia in Group C, with their first two games against the Etalons
and the Cup holders coming up inside Nelspruit’s Mbombela Stadium on
21st January and 25th January respectively, before a clash with
Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes in Rustenburg’s Bafokeng Sports Palace on
29th January.
Final list:
Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheba, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)
Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (SC
Braga, Portugal); Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod FC, Israel); Joseph Yobo
(Fenerbahce, Turkey); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Azubuike
Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag,
Netherlands); Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria).
Midfielders: John Mikel Obi
(Chelsea FC, England); Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain); Ogenyi Onazi
(SS Lazio, Italy); Obiora Nwankwo (Calcio Padova, Italy); Fegor Ogude
(Valerenga FC, Norway); Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars, Nigeria);
Forwards: Ahmed Musa ( CSKA
Moscow, Russia); Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow, Russia); Victor Moses
(Chelsea FC, England); Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria); Ikechukwu
Uche (Villarreal FC, Spain); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Ejike
Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria).
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I like the home-based players inclusion,
ReplyDeletesomething tells me the team will do well.
This is not a National Team. It is a sectional team and as for the mafia chief(Coach Keshi), this is impolitic. I know we have more footballers in the South East than the rest, it will be a great embarrassment for we South Easterners if there is a slip. Trust the South West dominated stopping press and technocrats to ensure it leads to a great fall. Wait until our early exit from the competition which is guaranteed. Even a foreign technical adviser would be wise enough to ensure that at least there are reserve players from the west. I understand, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi does not take advice from the Chairman. If that is the case, one is not surprised that he told Onigbinde to shut up when the former tried to advise him privately about selection and handling of the media.
ReplyDeleteHe tried but have not forgotten our old boys
ReplyDeletecan some one tell me why they failed to include our Osazee Odemwingie for christ sake?
ReplyDelete@ ogie, have you been on the moon?. didnt you hear about the rift between osaze, the coach and the entire NFF?
ReplyDeleteTell me, how can you justify how a leaking Joseph Yobo making the first team and you can't get Taiye Taiwo to be on the reserve team in a selection of 8 defenders. Politics and stubbornness. Even Keshi was already a spent force at Nations cup 94 and USA 94 world cup. Yet, Westerhorf realized the wisdom of carrying him along. This senseless arrogance and sectionalism will see the downfall of the team. Any way, Keshi is out to make quick money. He realizes he is out as soon as the competition ends in disgrace. That is the gentleman agreement his sponsors ave entered into with him. He knows it is a transient appointment. Keshi, enjoy your own 'national cake' in till January ending Chikenna.
ReplyDeletei have said this several times that we dont have national team again. for those who may consider me as being tribalistic/regionalistic or ethino-bigotic should know that what belong to all should be for all before asking for blessing from GOD for all. why cant the coach copy from Siasia who normally include all and sundry west/east/north/south. this is the secret of his performance in junior eagles he handled. the record is there.
ReplyDeleteI am just wondering how many South easterner anonymous JANUARY 10, 2013 8:51 AM will prefer to have on the list.
ReplyDeleteSectionalism is the main problem of the country and someone still thinks that south easterners are not enough in the list when people from that region are more than 60% of the members of the team.
I am not bother who makes the list or who do not make it, my concern is that the coach should select the best footballers among the lots we have and stop giving Nigerians heart aches and national embarrassment by selecting people base on ethnic, religion, god-fatherism or rebates from the players. Any good player should be able to make the list on merit.
I hope that is what the coach has used for his selection.
I like the selection made, it's a sign that something good is about to happen in Nigeria. Justice!!
ReplyDeleteOn the evidence of last night's performance, there is hardly any reasonable ground for optimism in the mind of even the most ardent Keshi believer. I'm sure the usual suspects like "late reporting to camp"; "lack of sufficient time to blend"; "late/lack of release of funds"; "NFF interference with team selection" etc have already been listed by Keshi et al waiting for the predictable first round exit before being reeled out at a 'farewell' Press Conference. Keshi's appointment, considering what happened in Mali when he assisted Amoudu, was a mistake. The way he has performed so far, for me, has been most uninspiring & confusing to himself! I advice the NFF to immediately begin the search for a new handler for the Super Eagles and look beyond the Keshi era. Only for the sake of the long suffering Nigerian football fans would I pray/wish I am proved wrong at the end of the day!
ReplyDeleteIf we are talking about Merit .Can somebdy convince me that Yobo is better than Taye Taiwo base on merit .
ReplyDeleteI think Keshi is wrong about is selection ( Personal Opinion ).
I m not campaigning for Taye Taiwo or Osaze but base on merit , some guys in the team are not up to the task if we base it on merit .
No star was made in a day. Everyone who became a star was given a chance. Don't agree with you on merit. What matters is experience!!!!!
DeleteHymmmm!!! Let's wait & see. The result will prove all of U & the coach either right or wrong. The selection list is a litmus (or rather Keshimus)Test on the national coach-Keshi to be depicted by the result & the performance to be observed.
ReplyDelete