The Super Eagles home-based coach, Salisu Yusuf has included Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, and called up Lobi Stars top marksman, Anthony Okpotu in the squad of 18 players from the Nigerian Professional Football League for this month’s West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup of Nations tournament for senior national teams taking place in Ghana.
The competition takes place from 9 September to 24 September.
Ezenwa was impressive in two World Cup qualifying games for the main Super Eagles squad against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon this week.
Yusuf also included Akwa United’s Gabriel Okechukwu and Katsina United Destiny Ashadi.
Other players listed in the squad are captain of the side Dele Ajiboye, Rabiu Ali and Kingsley Eduwo.
According to a media release from the Nigerian Football Federation, players were to report in Abuja on Wednesday (yesterday) for the trip to Ghana (today).
The Home Eagles will face Sierra Leone in the first round knock-out in Takoradi in Group A before eight teams will emerge for a group phase competition. The competition takes place 9th – 24th September.
In the same Group A that has Nigeria, hosts Ghana will play The Gambia, Mali are up against Mauritania and Guinea Bissau will clash with Guinea.
Ghana and Nigeria have seven African titles between them, with the Super Eagles and the Black Stars featuring in the last two FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa (2010) and Brazil (2014).
All the teams in Group A will play in Takoradi, the twin city of Sekondi that also hosted matches during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Group B will play in Cape Coast. 2015 African champions; Cote d’Ivoire head the pool that also has Senegal, Burkina Faso and Benin Republic, with Liberia, Niger Republic, Togo and Cape Verde.
Full List
Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah); Dele Ajiboye (Plateau United).
Defenders: Stephen Eze (FC IfeanyiUbah); Emmanuel Ariwachukwu (Akwa United); Chima Akas (Enyimba FC); Osas Okoro (Rangers International); Adeleye Olamilekan (FC IfeanyiUbah); Daniel James (Plateau United).
Midfielders: Afeez Aremu (Akwa United); Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akwa United); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Samuel Mathias (El-Kanemi Warriors); Destiny Ashadi (Katsina United).
Forwards: Gabriel Okechukwu (Akwa United); Kingsley Eduwo (Lobi Stars); Peter Eneji (Plateau United); Ubong Friday (Akwa United); Anthony Okpotu (Lobi Stars)
