JUST IN: Nigeria's Provisional Squad For World Is Ready-Keshi

JUST IN: Nigeria's Provisional Squad For World Is Ready-Keshi

Babajide Orevba
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:45 PM

After weeks of speculations over Nigeria's provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup holding in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July, 2014, Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, and the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), have said they are ready to release the squad.

According to THISDAY report, Keshi and the NFF are expected to reach a truce and name Nigeria's provisional squad to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil this afternoon in Abuja.

Football pundits are of the opinion that disagreement led to the delay in naming the initial squad of 38 players two weeks ago despite denials from both the coach and the technical committee members of NFF.

Latest reports suggest that all appears to be okay now after the intervention of some stakeholders to save Nigeria's image after a Singaporean alleged that he helped the country to gain qualification for the football show piece four years ago.

 * Coach Keshi, right, and John Mikel Obi are integral parts of Super Eagles

On the provisional squad, coach Keshi, through the Spokesman of the Eagles, Ben Alaiya, reportedly said last night that nobody can force him to include any player(s) he did not want in his team.

"The NFF is our parent body and should be concerned about team composition for the World Cup, because the body is made up of well-meaning Nigerians, but to be honest to Nigerians nobody in the NFF has come to me to say pick player A or B.

"They respect my job as the Head Coach and I respect them as my employers and there is no clash of interest," insisted the former Togo and Mali gaffer fondly called the Big Boss in his days as Nigerian captain.

It could be recalled that the media has been awash recently with reports credited to the ex-NNB and Eagles midfielder, Edema Fuludu, that Keshi was under great pressure to include certain players in his squad to Brazil.

Some of the players expected to be in the team when it is released include: Vincent Enyeama, Kenneth Omeruo, Godfrey Oboabona, Efe Ambrose, John Obi Mikel, Onazi, Emmanuel Emmenike, and Elderson Echiejile.

As at the time of writing this report, Nigerian are still debating whether the like of Chigozie Agbim, Ikechukwu Uche, Osaze Odemwingie and Chinedu Obasi would be included in the provisional list.

What's your take on those that should be or not be in the provisional list?

Authors
Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
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