Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday kick-started preparations for next year’s African Nations Championship (CHAN), in the Federal Capital, Abuja with a training session at the FIFA Goal Project site of the National Stadium.
Remarkably, all 30 players invited for the encounter had arrived camp by Monday evening as directed by the Nigeria Football Federation and the technical crew and they all took part in the training session, save for Ejike Uzoenyi, who had a slight fever and was asked to rest for the day.
In the absence of Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, his assistant, Dan ‘the Bull’ Amokachi, led the session under the early morning Abuja sun and was assisted by Hyoudonou Valere and Ike Shourunmu. He told the players that only the best will be selected for the tournament that startsJanuary 11 in South Africa, as there will be no sentiments in selection between the old and the new players in camp.
Incidentally, new invitees and members of the Golden Eaglets team that won the cadet World Cup recently in the UAE, goalkeeper Sunday Alampasu and teammate Taiwo Awoniyi, were the first to arrive camp on Monday, before skipper of the side, Chigozie Agbim arrived. Agbim had been the first of all the players to arrive camp at previous camping.
Tuesday’s morning training was very tactical and spartan, as the coaches tried to assess the quality of players that have been invited. It lasted a little over two hours and at the end of the session, Amokachi expressed joy at the players output. Keshi is expected to join the rest of the squad on Thursday morning. He has been away in Brazil for the World Cup draws and to also select a camp site for the Super Eagles ahead Mundia 2014.
THE FULL LIST
Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers); Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland
FC); Isah Danladi (Sharks FC); Sunday Alampasu (Abuja Football
College)
Defenders: Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves); Ebenezer Odunlami
(Sunshine Stars); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC); Solomon Kwambe
(Sunshine Stars); Bright Esieme (Enyimba FC); Yinka Adedeji (Sharks
FC); Reuben Ogbonnaya (El-Kanemi Warriors); Umar Zango (Kano Pillars);
Chibuzor Madu (Enugu Rangers)
Midfielders: Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers); Etebo Oghenekaro (Warri
Wolves); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Ogonna Osuchukwu (Enugu Rangers);
Achiv Douglas (Lobi Stars); Kelechi Iheanacho (Taiye Academy, Owerri);
Mohammed Ajia (Bayelsa United); Christian Pyagbara (Sharks FC)
Forwards: Muhammad Gambo (Kano Pillars); Ifeanyi Edeh (Enyimba FC);
Barnabas Imenger (Lobi Stars); Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers); Ezekiel
Mbah (Akwa United); Obiozor Christian (Enugu Rangers); Abubakar Aliyu
(Nasarawa United); Gbolahan Salami (3SC); Taiwo Awoniyi (Imperial
Academy, Ilorin).
