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Stand-in Head Coach, Daniel Ogunmodede has called up captain Nduka Harrison Junior, goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, defenders Sadiq Ismail and Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, midfielder Saviour Isaac, and forward Sikiru Alimi among a list of 26 players to begin closed-camping exercise at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo on Monday, 6th January ahead of the 8th African Nations Championship finals.
Goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, defenders Imo Obot and Stephen Manyo, midfielders Musa Zayyad, Rabiu Ali and Papa Daniel Mustapha, and forwards Adamu Abubakar and Emmanuel Ogbole have also been invited.
The Super Eagles B, for the first time ever in the qualification series, bumped Ghana’s Black Galaxies to reach the final tournament, after a 3-1 win in Uyo last week that followed a scoreless first leg in Accra six days earlier.
Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, who have been selected to jointly host the 36th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027, have been handed the opportunity to test-run their facilities and operational efficiency with the African Nations Championship finals, scheduled for 1st – 28th February.
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The 8th African Nations Championship will feature 18 countries, viz joint-hosts Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, Nigeria, Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Niger Republic, Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Angola and Madagascar.
The Full List
Goalkeepers: Henry Ozoemena (Enyimba FC); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars); Badmus Gbadamosi (Kwara United)
Defenders: Sadiq Ismail (Remo Stars); Waliu Ojetoye (Ikorodu City); Imo Obot (Enyimba FC); Taiwo Abdulrafiu (Rivers United); Nduka Harrison Junior (Remo Stars); Victor Collins (Nasarawa United); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International); Steven Manyo (Rivers United); Abiam Nelson (Kano Pillars); Afeez Bankole (Smart FC)
Midfielders: Jide Fatokun (Remo Stars); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Saviour Isaac (Rangers International); Musa Zayyad (El-Kanemi Warriors); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); Kazeem Ogunleye (Rangers International)
Forwards: Anas Yusuf (Nasarawa United); Emmanuel Ogbole (Kwara United); Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United)); Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars); Temitope Vincent (Plateau United); Samuel Ayanrinde (3SC); Sunday Megwo (Abia Warriors)
5 Comments
But I read this morning that the agent of Sadiq Ismail (Remo Stars), who scored against Ghana, has secured an obscure club in Albania for him.
It’s a pity most of these invitees still go japa for trials – not in the English Championship League 2, Serie B, etc. – but in clubs in Albania, Latvia, Sudan, etc, before CHAN begins on February 1.
Again another misleading infro and it’s not the 36th Afron. It’s the CHAN, which is barely up there.
No, you mixed up the information. CSN reported accurately.
CSN said Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda will host the 36th Afcon in 2027 (after Morocco 2025 by December), and the same 3 countries are hosting the CHAN (8th edition) this February to test their preparedness to host the Afcon proper in 2 years.
These are professional sports journalists, so they should know. And saying CHAN is “barely up there” is disrespectful to the organizers and participants, particularly the players.
Imagine the best player in the NPFL is still 44 year old Rabiu Ali. Whatever happened to inviting some of the FlyingEagles boys to give them some exposure??
Well I like the early camping wishing Ogunmodede all the best.
While I strongly agree that Victor Collins is a very good player, but his situation is the kind of plot twist that only Nigerian football can serve up. Guy couldn’t crack the starting XI of the Home-based Eagles for the CHAN qualifiers against Ghana, yet somehow, weeks earlier, he was deemed good enough to make the Super Eagles squad for the AFCON qualifiers against Rwanda and Benin. Talk about skipping levels. It’s like failing the WAEC mock exams and still getting an admission letter to Harvard—someone, somewhere, is definitely pulling strings.
If Collins wasn’t good enough for the B team’s starting lineup, how did he end up in roaster of the A team? And what about the guy who actually benched him over two legs against Ghana? What more could he have done to have been invited to the A team back in November ahead of Victor? Score hat-tricks in every game while moonwalking? Or were the selectors dozing while making up the roaster? This is the kind of football politics that has held us back for years—decisions based on “connections” rather than actual merit.
The difference becomes glaring when fairness prevails. Just look at the CHAN team that qualified so convincingly against Ghana. The choice of coaches was great and the selection of players transparent too. Didnt the results speak for themselves at the end of the day? Now imagine if one Salisu Yusuf had been in charge. We’d probably have seen names that would make us question if the NFF’s scouting department operates on vibes alone, and we’d likely still be licking our wounds after an early exit.
At the end of the day, Nigerian football needs to stop these questionable selections. Talent should always trump politics, or we’ll keep wondering how we got here while better players watch from the sidelines.