AS Nigerians await the release of the 35-man provisional World Cup list from coach Stephen Keshi tomorrow, we can authoritatively inform that all the players who played at the Africa Cup of Nations victory in South Africa in 2013 except Ike Uche are included in the list.
Also, six home-based Eagles, Kunle Odunlami(Sunshine), Chigozie Agbim(Gombe United), Azubike Egwuekwe(Warri Wolves), Dan Akepei(Warri Wolves), Ejike Uzoenyi(Rangers of Enugu) and Abdullahi Shehu(Kano Pillars) are the lucky ones who would join the foreign legion for the Eagles’ friendly in London against Scotland and their camping exercise in USA.
A very competent source informed Sports Vanguard that Stephen Keshi has an impeccable belief in the team that won the African Cup of Nations in South Africa. ‘’He thinks that those who won the Nations Cup did so much and deserve to go to the World Cup since you don’t change a winning team’’, our source said.
One other lucky player whose name has been included in Keshi’s list is German-based Leon Balogun who is recovering from injury. ‘’Surprisingly he made the list’’, our source said of the player who picked an injury in his debut for the Eagles.
Another player who got listed in the provisional list is Stoke City ‘bad boy’ Osaze Odemwingie whose last minute apology to Keshi and the Nigeria Football Federation did the magic for his inclusion.
‘’Osaze is in the list. The only person that I did not see his name is Ike Uche. And the officials of the NFF have done everything to convince Keshi to include the lad in the list. But keshi has his own reasons. He said that for a player who do not see him as a good coach cannot play for him’’, our source said.
We also learnt that there would be one or two names that would shock Nigerians in the list. ‘’I think that it is a good list that will do Nigeria proud in Brazil’’, our source emphasised.