Ideye, Ekong and Madu returns as Salisu Yusuf invites 26 players for Mali, Luxembourg

Super Eagles’ Head Coach Salisu Yusuf has called up 26 players, including skipper John Mikel Obi, forwards Ahmed Musa and Odion Ighalo and goalkeeper Carl Ikeme for the forthcoming international friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg in Europe.
The three –time African champions take on Les Aiglons of Mali in France on 27th May before flying to Luxembourg to take on that country’s National Team on the first day of June.
Yusuf, installed as interim Head Coach by the NFF last week, has picked a relatively young squad that also includes former U-20 skipper Musa Muhammed, former U-20 defender Gbenga Arokoyo, former U-23 midfielder Raheem Lawal, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner Brown Ideye, one –cap left –back Kingsley Madu and
unknown Portugal –based defender Chidozie Awaziem.
Defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Leon Balogun and William Troost Ekong return, while Ogenyi Onazi, Abdullahi Shehu, Elderson Echiejile, Moses Simon, Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi and Aaron Samuel are back to familiar terrain.

ALL THE INVITEES:
Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United, South Africa); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars)

Defenders : Abdullahi Shehu (Uniao da Madeira, Portugal); Musa Muhammed (Istanbul Basaksehir, Turkey); Elderson Echiejile (AS Monaco, France); Kingsley Madu (AS Trencin, Slovakia); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa SK, Turkey); Leon Balogun (Mainz 05, Germany); Gbenga Arokoyo (Gaziantepspor, Turkey); William Troost Ekong (Haugesund FC, Norway); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Porto, Portugal)

Midfielders : Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Wilfred Ndidi KRC Genk, Belgium); Raheem Lawal (Osmanlispor FK, Turkey); Etebo Oghenekaro (SC Farense, Portugal)

Forwards : Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Victor Moses (West Ham United, England); Odion Ighalo (Watford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England); Aminu Umar (Osmanlispor FK, Turkey); Aaron Samuel (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Brown Ideye (Olympiakos FC, Greece)

Source: thenff.com

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ONLY ACTIVE PLAYERS WILL PLAY AGAINST MALI, LUXEMBOURG – YUSUF

Newly appointed interim coach of the Super Eagles, Salisu
Yusuf has said that only players with regularly showing at their
clubs, home or abroad, would play in the two friendly
matches against Mali and Luxembourg.
Both matches are fixed for May 27 and June 1 at the Stade
Robert Diochon in Rouen, France and Luxembourg
respectively, at the end of the European season.
“We have a high number of players both abroad and those
playing at home. It is my belief that any player that would
make it to the next Super Eagles must be active with a team,”
Yusuf told Goal .
“This is because we do not have enough time to stay together
for long before playing any competitive game.
“If a player is not playing in his team and he is coming to
camp, definitely he would find it difficult with us because he
doesn’t have much time to prove himself.
“What we intend to do is look at the past players and come
out with a strong team that will have both the home and
foreign based players that are playing active football with their
clubs. Our selection of players will not be based on the past
games, but definitely on current form, we’ll only call the best
players based on current form.
“We have some players that have left Nigeria and they are
playing well in their clubs, so we will look at those players and
give them the opportunity if they are ready to play for Nigeria.
“This time around, we must search for good players in the
defense line. It does not necessarily mean that a player must
be playing in England or other top leagues. The bottom line is
that you must be good and playing actively in your club
irrespective of the country he is playing. Like I have said, it is
about current form in camp,” Yusuf warned.

Culled from Goal.com

NPFL Standing At Week 13

Enyimba fc were the biggest winner in the week 13 round of matches gaining their first point away from home this season through Christian Pyagbara’s first goal for the club.

Shooting stars continued their abysmal form away from home after  6-0 thumping at the Sanni  Abacha stadium, Kano at the hands of Kano Pillars who on their own continued their 100% home record.

Meanwhile new boys, MFM Fc, lost at Umuahia against Abia warriors who now move to 2nd on the table.

Below is the full results of week 13 round of matches

Wikki Tourist 3-0 FC Ifeanyiubah
Plateau United 2-1Rivers United
Lobi 1-0 Niger Tornadoes
Heartland FC 1-0 Sunshine Stars
Warri Wolves 2-0 Giwa FC
Kano Pillars 6-0 Shooting Stars
Abia Warriors 3-1 MFM FC.
Elkanemi 1-0 Ikorodu united.
Rangers 2-1 Nasarawa utd.
Akwa united 0-1 Enyimba

The table
1.Rangers International 12 24 +7
2.Abia Warriors 12 23 +7
3.FC IfeanyiUbah 13 22 +2
4.Kano Pillars 12 21 +8
5.Lobi Stars FC 13 21 +4
6.Wikki Tourists 12 19 +9
7.Rivers United FC 13 19 +1
8.Warri Wolves 12 19 0
9.MFM FC 13 19 -1
10.Akwa United FC 13 18 +4
11.Heartland FC 12 17 0
12.Plateau United 13 17 -5
13.El-Kanemi Warriors 13 16 -4
14.Nasarawa United 12 15 -3
15.Shooting Stars 13 15 -8
16.Sunshine Stars 12 14 +1
17.Niger Tornadoes 13 14 -2
18.Giwa FC 12 14 -5
19.Enyimba International 8 12 0
20.Ikorodu United FC 13 6 -15

EXCLUSIVE: SIASIA PICKS MIKEL, IGHALO AND AHMED MUSA FOR RIO

AfricanFootball.com can exclusively reveal the three over-aged players coach Samson Siasia plans to take to the Rio Olympics in August – Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi, Watford striker Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa from CSKA Moscow.

These are the only over-aged players on the 60-man provisional squad for the summer games, we have exclusively gathered.

This means the Olympics dreams of Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi have been dashed.

The Olympics allows for three players who are beyond the eligible age of 23 to feature.

Siasia himself reasoned Mikel, 28, is keen on playing at Rio after he missed out on Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The coach has not hidden his admiration for 26-year-old Ighalo, who he made captain for the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt.

He has also praised the striker’s form in front of goal even though he has struggled to score in recent weeks now for club and country.

Ahmed Musa though was a surprise choice after Siasia stripped him of the Super Eagles captaincy in March.

The CSKA Moscow flying winger looks set to quit the Russian club in the summer with the English Premier League a likely destination.

He has played at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2013 AFCON as well as the 2011 U20 World Cup.

Nigeria, whose Olympic team are better known as Dream Team VI, are drawn in Group B alongside Japan, Colombia and Sweden at the games, which begin on August 4.