Nigeria/Ethiopia: Siasia Names Two Home Based Players for Ethiopia

Leadership (Abuja)

Salifu Usman

11 March 2011

Abuja — In a style not too different from how erstwhile Super Eagles coach dealt with the local league players, new coach of the Nigerian national team, Samson Siasia, yesterday opted for an almost 100% foreign legs, naming only Heartland of Owerri right back, Chibuzo Okonkwo and Warri Wolves forward, Ekigho Ehiosun in the 24-man team list he released to clash with Ethiopia come March 27. Ehiosun grabbed a goal when Super Eagles beat Sierra Leone 2-1 in an international friendly last month. In a star studded list that parades foreign professionals, it is uncertain if Ekigho Ehiosun or Chibuzor Okonkwo will get a chance to feature in the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier match against Ethiopia in Abuja.

The list largely dominated by foreign based players has returnee and Zaragoza of Spain striker, Ikechukwu Uche, who last featured for the Eagles in 2009. Also staging comebacks are Olubayo Adefemi, Solomon Okoronkwo and Victor Anichebe, who were all left out of the Super Eagles’ squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but had crucial roles in Siasia’s Beijing Olympics team.

Unveiling the list to the press yesterday, at the Abuja National Stadium, the former Dream Team 1V handler said in spite of the team’s not too impressive start to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, he is committed to ensuring that Nigeria qualifies for the bi-annual championship in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. He stressed that the players invited are good enough to prosecute the match against Ethiopia. “Ethiopia is a very important game for us because we must qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. Though, we didn’t start well but we have to finish well and qualify. In as much as we want to encourage some of the players and give them opportunity to be part of this new team we are trying to build. I want to assure you that these players are good enough to prosecute the Ethiopian match,” he said.

Siasia said he has no immediate plan to invite Nwankwo Kanu and Sani Kaita to the national team. “I think we should keep the issue of Sani Kaita aside for now. Kanu is a great player but for now we are trying to build a new team and he is not part of this for now. But if miracle happens in future, he may be part of the team,” he said.

The Nigeria Football Federation technical committee chairman, Barrister Chris Green said, in view of Ethiopia’s pedigree in football and the fact that there are no more minnows in African football, the football house is doing everything possible to ensuring that the Super Eagles come out tops in the group by beating Ethiopia convincingly. “We are quite aware of Ethiopia’s pedigree in football. They played in the final of their last regional championship, the COSAFA Cup. So, we will do everything possible to ensure that the Super Eagles come out tops. We will give the coach all the support he needs to ensure his players play well and win convincingly at the end of the 90 minutes.” He said. The Super Eagles are three points behind Group B leaders, Guinea, who are topping the table with six points from two matches.

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