Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has picked first choice goalkeeper and skipper Chigozie Agbim, defender Azubuike Egwuekwe, midfielder Joshua Obaje, forward Gbolahan Salami and U-17 star, Dele Alampasu among 23 players that will represent Nigeria at the 3rd African Nations Championship in South Africa.
Usual suspects Solomon Kwambe, Francis Benjamin, Kunle Odunlami, Umar Zango, Barnabas Imenger, Daniel Akpeyi and Ifeanyi Ede also make the list, but former junior internationals Abdullahi Shehu and Christian Pyagbara also make the cut, with FIFA U-17 World Cup winner Dele Alampasu expectedly joining the big boys so early.
Nigeria take on host South Africa, Mali and Mozambique in Group A of the championship reserved for senior players plying their trade in the domestic League of their countries. The competition runs from 11th January – 1st February, 2014 in three South African cities.
In his quest to win the tournament just as he did at the full-strength Africa Cup of Nations staged in the same country early 2013, Coach Keshi has picked three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders and six forwards.
Agbim, Kwambe, Benjamin and Egwuekwe are integral part of Nigeria’s A Team, while Pyagbara and Shehu played for the Flying Eagles at the African Youth Championship in Algeria and the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey in 2013.
Alampasu was selected as the Best Goalkeeper as Nigeria’s U-17 side cruised to a record fourth win at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates October/November 2013.
GOALKEEPERS: Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers); Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland
FC); Dele Alampasu (Abuja Football College)
DEFENDERS: Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars); Francis Benjamin
(Heartland FC); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves); Kunle Odunlami
(Sunshine Stars); Ikechukwu Gabriel (Bayelsa United); Umar Zango (Kano
Pillars); Bright Esieme (Enyimba FC); Erhun Obanor (Insurance FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Ugonna Uzochukwu (Enugu Rangers); Rabiu Ali (Kano
Pillars); Christian Pyagbara (Sharks FC); Ikenna Hilary (Sunshine
Stars); Abdullahi Shehu (Kano Pillars); Joshua Obaje (Warri Wolves)
FORWARDS: Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers); Gbolahan Salami (Shooting
Stars); Barnabas Imenger (Lobi Stars); Aliyu Ibrahim (Nasarawa
United); Christian Obiozor (Enugu Rangers); Ifeanyi Ede (Enyimba FC
