Keshi.
Super
Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has called up more youngsters ahead of the
crucial 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Kenya’s Harambee Stars. The
list has been trailed with mixed reactions, reports ’TANA AIYEJINA
The qualifier is Nigeria’s first match
since their 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in the Africa Cup of Nations final
in Johannesburg on February 10.
The list comprised of 24 home-based players and 15 Europe-based professionals, with some shock exclusions and additions.
Top on the list of foreign-players
excluded from the crucial tie is Nigeria’s most capped international (95
appearances) and team captain Joseph Yobo, Emmanuel Emenike— who copped
an ankle injury at the Africa Cup of Nations last month—Israle-based
Juwon Oshaniwa and the duo of Spain-based Ike Uche and Nosa Igiebor, who
all helped the Eagles to a third African title in February.
Some other stars, who were not in South
Africa, but were expected to make the cut also missed out. Inter Milan
midfielder Joel Obi, who was ruled out of the AFCON due to a long-term
injury, as well as injured duo, Everton striker Victor Anichebe and Hull
City winger, Sone Aluko, missed out.
Bayer Leverkusen winger, Sidney Sam, who
has a Nigerian father and German mother, could not be available for the
game as his nationality switch was being processed by the Nigerian
authorities.
But it was cheerful news for Levante
striker, Obafemi Martins, who got a recall after some time away from the
national team set-up. The Spain-based striker leads three other new
invitees into the squad; Ukraine-based Babatunde Michael, Nnamdi
Oduamadi of Varese in Serie B and John Ogu, who plays for struggling
Academica Coimbra in Portugal.
Keshi explained the exclusion of his
captain from the squad, saying the services of the Fenerbahce player was
not needed in Calabar on March 23.
“I don’t need Yobo for this game. He is
an excellent footballer like we all know, but he is not needed for this
game,” Keshi said on Friday.
Keshi has never hidden his preference
for a squad rich in quality, youth and versatility, thus a continuous
rebuilding of the national team even after February’s AFCON triumph.
He was justified in South Africa,
leading a crop of largely inexperienced players— 17 of them appearing in
the competition for the first time— to the Nations Cup title.
“We have not arrived yet because we are
still in the building process. We will continue to work hard because the
hard work starts now. My dream has always been to make Nigerians happy.
Like I said we are not there yet,” Keshi said.
Apart from Martins, the other newly-invited players Oduamadi (22), Michael (20) and Ogu (24) have age on their side.
Former youth international Michael plays
for FC Kryvbas in the Ukrainian Premier League. The midfielder
alongside Varese’s Oduamadi, has represented Nigeria at U-23 level.
Oduamadi has found life at Italian giants AC Milan, too hard to cope
with and has been sent on various loan spells by the San Siro club, the
latest being Varese.
Incidentally, Michael was a part of the
U-23 team coached by Austin Eguavoen and he was drafted in to replace
the injured Oduamadi during the 2012 Olympic qualifier against Tanzania.
The player is excitedly looking forward to represent Nigeria.
Michael said, “I have never represented
Nigeria at the senior level and so to be called up is really fantastic
for me. My good form of recent has made me a lot stronger mentally. I’m
just happy to have been called up and I want to give my very best to the
team.”
However, Ogu is the least known of the
trio, having left Nigeria at only 18 in 2006 to join Slovenian First
League club, NK Drava Ptuj, where he stayed for four seasons.
In 2010, he moved to Atlético Clube de
Portugal in the Portuguese third tier, but after six months, he moved to
Spain to join UD Almería B.
He returned to Portugal in 2011 to join
UD Leiria. But he was on the move again after Leiria’s relegation from
the topflight and joined Académica de Coimbra in July 2012 on a free
transfer.
Expectedly, mixed reactions trailed the
release of the list in the past week, especially amongst ex-players of
the national team. For example, there was a clash of conflict between
superstars Nwankwo Kanu and Garba Lawal.
While Kanu believes that the invited
foreign-based players are capable of doing the country proud, Lawal
holds a contrary view, arguing that Keshi should have recalled West
Bromwich Albion forward, Osaze Odemwingie and other players excluded
from the Nations Cup in South Africa.
But Eagles media officer, Ben Alaiya, insists the coach should be allowed to do his job.
He said, “Every game has its spirit and
players and since the coach has been given the job, he should be allowed
to freely pick his players.
“I am not the coach but he must have
looked at the new players closely before picking them. He knows every
player’s ability; he was appointed for the job, so let him do it.”
Harambee Stars coach, Adel Amrouche, can
count on impressive midfielders McDonald Mariga of Parma and Victor
Wanyama, Efe Ambrose’s teammate at Scottish giants Celtic, for the
crunch tie.
The Kenyans will be highly boosted if
they can get the services of emerging Lille’s youngster, Divock Origi,
the son of legend Mike Okoth. The 17-year-old player burst into the
limelight earlier this year after scoring six minutes into his
competitive debut for Lille against Troyes in a Ligue One match.
Origi, whose mother is from Belgium,
could still retain his Belgian passport while playing for Kenya, a
development that would make it easier for a transfer to the more
established leagues in future. He’s already been capped for Belgium’s
U-15, U-16 and U-17 sides.
Despite the wide gulf between both teams, Alaiya says the Eagles will not underrate their Kenyan opponents.
He said, “We will never underrate any
team in Africa. Nobody gave us a chance in South Africa, so who says
other teams cannot pull surprises?
“We are going into the match on equal
scale with the Kenyans. Football is played on the pitch, not off it. If
you go into the game feeling like a winner, you may find yourself in
trouble.
“We are African champions no doubt, but that does not give us an easy ride.
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