Nigeria: Nine Home Eagles Unveiled for Venezuela Friendly

Nine home-based professional footballers have been selected to join up with the 11 foreign-based stars earlier picked for the international friendly against Venezuela, November 14 in Miami, Florida, United States.

The list was announced lunch time Saturday by Assistant Coach Dan ‘the Bull’ Amokachi on behalf of Head Coach Stephen Keshi.

Leading the pack is home-based skipper, Chigozie Agbim, who recently moved from Warri Wolves to Rangers International, expectedly Sunshine Stars skipper, Godfrey Oboabona, also made the cut, same for left back Benjamin Francis, who has been in impressive form at the national team’s camp.

Towering Warri Wolves centre back Azubuike Egwueke, Solomon Kwambe, who is gradually establishing himself in the right back position, Kano Pillars centre back, Zango Umar, light skinned Heartland of Owerri midfielder, Henry Uche, former Golden Eaglets skipper, Sunday Mba of Warri Wolves and dare-devil Rangers International of Enugu winger, Ejike Uzoenyi, complete the list of home-based stars for the friendly.

Earlier on Saturday morning before the team was announced for the trip to the United States, the team had a field day in its last preparatory game for the friendly by defeating Water FC of Abuja, an amateur side 3-1.

It will be recalled that when both sides clashed October 5, this year in the run up to the Nations Cup cracker against Liberia, the national team was held to a 1-1 draw.

This time the Eagles decided to prove their superiority by totaling outclassing the Abuja side in the encounter.

Sunday Mba served notice of what to happen when he blasted wide after being set up by Uzoenyi in just the second minute of the encounter.

Four minutes later, Azubuike strayed forward to head home an Uzoenyi corner kick but a Water FC player blocked it with his hands. The referee rightly pointed to the spot and Mba stepped forward to send the keeper the wrong way.

The Eagles would have been two more goals up but Gambo Mohammed blasted wide in the 10 minute, before hitting the cross-bar with a textbook header in the 20th minute.

Gambo finally registered his name on the goalscorer’s sheet when he out-jumped the Water FC defence to nod home a Solomon Kwambe long ranger.

The amateur side thereafter woke up and subjected the Eagles defence to sporadic raids.

The Eagles will depart for Miami through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos by 10pm via Delta Airlines and accommodation has already been reserved for the team at the Intercontinental Doral in Miami.