| Keshi Drops Mikel Obi & Osaze Odemwingie From Liberia Match Aug 25th 2012, 22:47
Nigeria head coach, Stephen Keshi has once again left out the duo of John Mikel Obi and Peter Odemwingie from his team ahead of September's Afcon qualifying.
Other notable overseas players dropped from the team to face Liberia's Lone Star are Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Taye Taiwo and Kalu Uche.
Mikel, Odemwingie and Kalu Uche last played for Nigeria under Samson Siasia's reign while Yakubu made a comeback with Keshi as coach in the game against Rwanda early this year.
But Keshi handed the trio of Nosa Igiebor, Emmanuel Emenike and Dynamo Kyiv's free-scoring forward, Brown Ideye recalls.
Vincent Enyeama, who just joined Maccabi Tel Aviv on a season-long loan, is the only overseas goalkeeper called by Keshi.
Joseph Yobo, Chelsea-bound Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa and Ikechukwu Uche.
However, before the list of 11 overseas players was approved, Keshi had to face the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Sub-Committee to defend his programme and invited players.
The former Nigerian captain met with members of the federation's committee in Abuja on Friday.
After the meeting with Keshi, chairman of the NFF Technical Sub-Committee, Chris Green, said: "Coach Keshi gave his reasons for inviting each of the players and we all agreed with him that these players are in good form at present and will do the job for Nigeria against Liberia."
The 11 foreign-based players will join up with their teammates, who featured in the international friendly against Niger Republic in Niamey on August 15.
Nigeria's Super Eagles confront their Liberian counterparts in the first leg, final round of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification in Monrovia in September.
FULL LIST OF OVERSEA PLAYERS
Goalkeeper: Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel)
Defenders: Joseph Yobo (Fenerbahce, Turkey); Efe Ambrose (Ashdod FC,Israel); Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Braga, Portugal)
Midfielders: Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain); Obiora Nwankwo (Calcio Padova, Italy)
Forwards: Victor Moses (Wigan Athletic, England); Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Ikechukwu Uche (Villarreal, Spain); Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow, Russia); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine) ; Ikechukwu Uche (Villarreal, Spain)
http://www.supersport.com/football/nigeria/news/120825/Keshi_snubs_Osaze_and_Obi | |
