Enyimba Football Club and FC Barcelona have reached an agreement for the transfer of Ezekiel Bassey to Barca B. The 20-year-old signed a provisional two and a half-year contract with the Spanish giants after successfully completing his medical examination on Tuesday. Enyimba thanks everyone at FC Barcelona for the successful outcome of this transfer and […]
Head Coach Sunday Oliseh has released the list of 23 players of the Super Eagles B squad who will seek to do Nigeria proud by winning the African Nations Championship title in Rwanda.
Goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Austin Oboroakpo and Chima Akas, Olympic Team midfielders Usman Mohammed and Yaro Bature and forward Chisom Chikatara headline a list that also includes Enyimba FC’s skillful winger Ezekiel Bassey, former junior international Ifeanyi Mathew and the Sunshine Stars’ trio of Paul Onobi, Prince Aggrey and Tunde Adeniji.
Former junior international goalkeeper Femi Thomas, Shooting Stars’ central defender Jamiu Alimi and former Supersand Eagles’ ace Bartholomew Ibenegbu have also been included.
The Eagles B team, alongside technical and backroom staff, flew out of the country on Saturday afternoon to Cape Town, South Africa, where a 10 –day pre-Championship training camp has been arranged, alongside two friendly games against fellow Rwanda –bound Angola and Cote d’Ivoire on January 6 and 11 respectively. Oliseh arrived South Africa ahead of the delegation.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles B finished third at the 3rd African Nations Championship held in South Africa in 2014, and Sunday Oliseh’s invigorated squad aims to win the Cup in Rwanda on February 7.
The Eagles B will campaign in Group C of this year’s championship alongside 2011 winners Tunisia, Niger Republic and Guinea, with matches to be played at the Stade Regional Nyamirambo, Kigali.
NIGERIA’S SQUAD FOR CHAN
Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars); Olufemi Thomas (Enyimba FC); Okiemute Odah (Warri Wolves)
Defenders: Austin Oboroakpo (Abia Warriors); Kalu Orji Okogbue (Enugu Rangers); Jamiu Alimi (Shooting Stars); Mathew Etim (Enugu Rangers); Chima Akas (Sharks FC); Stephen Eze (Sunshine Stars); Christopher Madaki Maichibi (Giwa FC); Samson Gbadebo (Lobi Stars)
Midfielders: Ifeanyi Mathew (El-Kanemi Warriors); Paul Onobi (Sunshine Stars); Usman Mohammed (FC Taraba); Yaro Bature (Nasarawa United); Bartholomew Ibenegbu (Warri Wolves); Ibrahim Attah Salau (Shooting Stars)
Forwards: Osas Okoro (Enugu Rangers); Ezekiel Bassey (Enyimba FC); Tunde Adeniji (Sunshine Stars); Bright Onyedikachi (FC IfeanyiUbah); Chisom Chikatara (Abia Warriors); Prince Aggrey (Sunshine Stars)
With a firm accent on current form and ability, Head Coach Sunday Oliseh has invited 23 players, including USA–based Obafemi Martins and six home –based professionals, for the Super Eagles’ 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture against Swaziland.
The two –legged fixture will take place over four days next month, with the first leg in Lobamba on Friday, November 13 and the return at the Adokiye Amiesiamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, November 17.
Martins, who has not featured for the Super Eagles in two years, has been in great form in the Major League Soccer, and his invitation shows clearly that FIFA Technical Study Group member Oliseh has an open mind to all Nigerian players across the globe.
The invitation is also a sweet birthday present to Martins, who celebrated his big day on Wednesday. He scored for Nigeria on his debut in a friendly match against Republic of Ireland in London in May 2005.
Six home–based professionals, who all played notable roles in Nigeria’s qualification for the 4th African Nations Championship at the expense of Burkina Faso, are in the 23–man mix.
Chelsea of England midfielder John Mikel Obi, Portugal–based former junior internationals Dele Alampasu and Abdullahi Shehu and Arsenal FC’s Alex Iwobi are also invited, as well as former junior international defender Wilfred Ndidi.
Oliseh has directed all the players to arrive at the Bolton White Apartments, Abuja on Sunday, November 8 as training commences same day by 7pm.
THE FULL LIST
Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars); Dele Alampasu (Club de Sportivo Feirense, Portugal)
Defenders: Abdullahi Shehu (Uniao da Madeira, Portugal); Kalu Orji (Enugu Rangers); Elderson Echiejile (AS Monaco, France); Chima Akas (Sharks FC); Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz, Germany); Godfrey Oboabona (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Austin Oboroakpo (Abia Warriors)
Midfielders: Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Paul Onobi (Sunshine Stars); John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Rabiu Ibrahim (AS Trencin, Slovakia); Wilfred Ndidi (KRC Genk, Belgium); Sylvester Igbonu (FC UFA, Russia)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Odion Ighalo (Watford FC, England); Ezekiel Bassey (Enyimba FC); Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England); Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders, USA)
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