20th March, 2013
The twenty-four Super Eagles invited players for this weekend’s Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier against the Harambee Stars of Kenya will on Wednesday evening at the Abraham Ordia Sports Complex inside the University of Calabar intensify their efforts to convince the coaches of their readiness to play for the team, P.M.NEWS Sports can report.
Sources in the camp revealed that all the invited players gave more than 100 per cent in training yesterday apparently to impress the coaches of their eagerness to play for Nigeria in Saturday’s match.
In the goalkeeping position, our source hinted that Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel’s Austin Ejide made some saves, sending warning signals to first choice goalkeeper and assistant captain, Vincent Enyeama of Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel, while Chigozie Agbim of Warri Wolves also showed some flashes.
In the backline, Solomon Kwanbe of Sunshine Stars and Benjamin Francis of Heartland have been trying to impress ahead of established defenders in the team with the exception of skipper Joseph Yobo of Fernebache of Turkey.
The midfield battle will be the most competitive with the invitation of John Ogu of Academica de Coimbra in Portugal, who dazzled in training yesterday evening. But he has to show the coaches how he is better than the other players who played at the last Nations Cup in South Africa.
With the duo of Nnamdi Oduamadi of A.S Varese 1910 FC, Italy and Obafemi Martins of Seattle Sounders, USA making a sensational return, it would be an Herculean task for the coaches to pick strikers that would spearhead the attack against Kenya.
Ahmed Musa, Brown Ideye, and Victor Moses have been in blistering form for their respective clubs but with the surprise invitation of Babatunde Michael of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih in Ukraine, it means the fight for shirts will be a battle to the finish.
—Adebobola Alawode