Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi, Joseph
Yobo made Nigeria’s final list as expected to the 2013 Africa Nations
Cup starting January 19 in South Africa.
They lead 21 others including
Ukraine-based Brown Ideye who made the team despite originally being
rumoured as cut from the team by coach Stephen Keshi. The Nigeria
coached released the final team list while the country engaged Cape
Verde in a friendly match in Faro, Portugal Wednesday night. The match
ended goalless.
Nigeria Captain Joseph Yobo will play in
his sixth Africa Cup of Nations finals. The 32-year old defender had
previously played at the 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 finals, winning
bronze on four occasions.
Vice captain and first choice goalkeeper
Vincent Enyeama and forward Ikechukwu Uche are also included in the
team that Keshi held on to the list insisting he could only make public
after the first half of the Wednesday match. January 9 was the last day
for submission of team list according to the Confederation of African
timetable.
The list may have been as widely
expected but Keshi surprised many when he chose to drop Bright Dike from
the team. Keshi had spoken highly of the America-based Dike who also
scored the country lone goal against Catalonia last week in a friendly
match which gave the inkling that the rookie striker could make the cut.
Apart from Yobo, goalkeepers Enyeama and
Austin Ejide, defender Elderson Echiejile, Mikel and forward Uche who
were at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, the rest will be
making their debut in South Africa.
It will be the first appearance for
goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Efe Ambrose,
Azubuike Egwuekwe, Juwon Oshaniwa and Godfrey Oboabona, midfielders Nosa
Igiebor, Ogenyi Onazi, Obiora Nwankwo, Fegor Ogude and Reuben Gabriel,
and strikers Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel Emenike, Sunday Mba, Ideye, Victor
Moses and Ejike Uzoenyi.
Nigeria will play Burkina Faso, Zambia
and Ethiopia in Group C, with their first two games against the Etalons
and the Cup holders coming up inside Nelspruit’s Mbombela Stadium on
21st January and 25th January respectively, before a clash with
Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes in Rustenburg’s Bafokeng Sports Palace on
29th January.
Final list:
Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheba, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)
Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (SC
Braga, Portugal); Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod FC, Israel); Joseph Yobo
(Fenerbahce, Turkey); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Azubuike
Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag,
Netherlands); Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria).
Midfielders: John Mikel Obi
(Chelsea FC, England); Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain); Ogenyi Onazi
(SS Lazio, Italy); Obiora Nwankwo (Calcio Padova, Italy); Fegor Ogude
(Valerenga FC, Norway); Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars, Nigeria);
Forwards: Ahmed Musa ( CSKA
Moscow, Russia); Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow, Russia); Victor Moses
(Chelsea FC, England); Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria); Ikechukwu
Uche (Villarreal FC, Spain); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Ejike
Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria).
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