KESHI snubs Yobo again... Emenike, Uche In

Stephen Keshi has again snubs Super Eagles captain Joseph yobo from his latest list of player for national assignment while AFCON hot-shot Emmanuel Emenike and rave of the moment Kalu Uche were listed for May and June Nigeria matches.

 

Kalu Uche has earned himself a recall to the Nigeria squad after 16 months following distinguished performances for Turkish club Kasimpasa.

Uche was named in Stephen Keshi's squad of 30 players to prosecute a gruelling schedule of matches in the summer months of May and June.

Uche's return of 16 goals in 27 appearances in the Turkish league is second only to Galatasaray's Buruk Yilmaz, who has two more, and was enough to persuade Keshi to hand him a recall.

 

Also back is striker Emmanuel Emenike after missing out the post-African Nations Cup party with the injury he sustained at the tournament.

FC Cologne striker Anthony Ujah gets his first call-up to the senior Nigeria side after representing Nigeria at Under-23 level two years ago.

 

There are four goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven midfielders and 11 strikers.

The African champions have a high-profile friendly against CONCACAF champions Mexico in Houston, Texas, USA on the last day of May, before two World Cup qualifying matches in Nairobi and Windhoek that come before the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil.

Nigeria play Tahiti, Uruguay and Spain in Brazil but will play two more games if they advance to the knock-out stage, before returning to Africa for a 2014 African Nations Championship qualifying fixture against Cote d’Ivoire.

Usual suspects Vincent Enyeama, Mikel Obi, Efe Ambrose, Godfrey Oboabona, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses are called, as well as dark horses John Ogu and Michael Babatunde.

 

But there is still no place for captain Joseph Yobo, who misses out on extending his record international appearances for Nigeria.

The delegation of 12 home-based players and technical/backroom staff will depart Abuja for the training camp in Nuremberg, Germany on May 15 while the overseas-based professionals are expected to join the team in Germany as their various Leagues come to an end.

Players in Russia, Ukraine and Norway may only join the team for the matches against Kenya and Namibia, and for the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament.

 

THE FULL SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria); Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland FC, Nigeria)

 

Defenders: Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Elderson Echiejile (FC Braga, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag, The Netherlands); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Ebenezer Odunlami (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC, Nigeria); Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria)

 

Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Fegor Ogude (Valerenga FC, Norway); John Ogu (Academica de Coimbra, Portugal); Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars, Nigeria); Sunday Mba (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Emeka Ezeh (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)

 

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow, Russia); Michael Babatunde (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine); Nnamdi Oduamadi (AS Varese 1910, Italy); Anthony Ujah (FC Cologne, Germany); Kalu Uche (Kasimpasa, Turkey); Gomo Onduku (Sharks FC, Nigeria); Obinna Nwachukwu (Heartland FC, Nigeria); Gambo Mohammed (Kano Pillars, Nigeria)