Keshi calls up 30 for African Nations Championship

Coach Stephen Keshi has called up 30 players while putting six on standby in preparations for the 3rd African Nations Championship in South Africa.

Keshi qualified Nigeria for the tournament for the first time and looks forward to a memorable outing in the same country where he led the Super Eagles A Team to the Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year.

“We are going to the CHAN for the first
time but we want to be the best at our very first outing,” he said in Salvador on Thursday morning.

Nigeria play host South Africa, Mali and Mozambique in Group A at the tournament starting on 11th January, 2014.

Regular Super Eagles Team B faces dominate the list but world-conquering Golden Eaglets’ trio of goalkeeper Sunday Alampasu, midfielder Kelechi Iheanacho and forward Taiwo Awoniyi have been
handed opportunities to break into big time quickly.

First choice goalkeeper and skipper Chigozie Agbim and ace midfielder Sunday Mba top the list, with Shooting Stars’ fiery forward Gbolahan Salami handed a recall.

There are four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and nine strikers.

All 30 players on the main list are expected to report to the Bolton White Apartments in Abuja on Monday, 9th December. Players on the standby list will have opportunity to join the team only if a player on the main list gets injured.

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)

Standby: Happy Okuoka (Heartland FC); Bello Ikeleji (Insurance FC); Obinna Nwachukwu (Heartland FC); Izuegbu Abonima (Enugu Rangers); Paul Ikenna (Sunshine Stars); John Austin Igenepo