KESHI’S 30-MEN TEAM LIST RELEASED FOR WORLD CUP IN BRAZIL.

KESHI’S 30-MEN TEAM LIST RELEASED FOR WORLD CUP IN BRAZIL.
Friday, May 16th, 2014 – SPORTNEWS @PSP

Soccer buffs have continued to react to the provisional list of Super Eagles for the 2014 Brazil World Cup released on Tuesday by Coach Stephen Keshi, saying it’s his choice.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Keshi had announced a provisional list of 30 players, recalled team captain Joseph Yobo and Osaze Odemwingie but dropped Villareal’s Ikechukwu Uche.

NAN reports that Nigeria will be playing in Group F alongside Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovinia and Iran at the Mundial.

Former Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, told NAN on Wednesday on telephone that the team list was Keshi’s choice.

“The team list is the choice of Keshi as the man in charge who knows what pattern he wants to use for the matches at the World Cup in Brazil,” he said.

Onigbinde, who said it was a long time he saw the players last in action, wondered if he had the temerity to question his action in leaving out or including a particular person in the team.

“All we can do is to wish the players and their handlers well at the World Cup,” he said.

He called on Nigerians to pray and support the team to do well.

Felix Owolabi, a.k.a, “Owo-Blow”,  a former Green Eagles left winger, said he welcomed the recall of Osaze Odewingwe of Stoke City FC of England back into the squad. He added that it was not too late for Keshi to also bring in Ike Uche.

“I don’t know the para-metres used by Keshi in selecting his team, but I feel strongly about the exclusion of Uche in the team. Uche is a good joker for Nigeria, therefore, it is not too late to recall him into the team because he is a good substitute for any coach,” Owolabi said.

He said that countries like Italy, Agentina, France, Netherlands and Spain would never leave behind their best players while going for World Cup and urged Keshi to have a rethink. He added that the World Cup outing in Brazil was different from the Nations Cup in South Africa.

Owolabi wondered if Nigeria could afford to miss the services of a potent player like Uche.

Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, an ex-international, told NAN that all Nigerians needed to do was to support the team by Keshi, saying that “he has the right to select players.

“There is no point raising issues on the exclusion of Uche in the team because Keshi knows the players for the event,” he said.

Former Super Eagles defender, Ajibade Babalade, told NAN that Keshi had the ace when it comes to which player should be invited for the assignment, arguing that “there is not point crucifying him over Uche.

“I think the player had an axe to grind with Keshi and the Super Eagles technical crew asked him to apologise, but he refused. So, for me it is an act of indiscipline,” Babalade said.

NAN reports that among Keshi’s 30-men team list released on Tuesday are Goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim and Daniel Akpeyi.

The defenders are Elderson Echiejile, Juwon Oshaniwa, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Kenneth Omeruo, Joseph Yobo, Kunle Odunlami and Efe Ambrose.

Also, the midfielders are John Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi, Ramon Azeez, Joel Obi, Nosa Igiebor, Michael Uchebo, Ejike Uzoenyi, Sunday Mba, and Reuben Gabriel.

Ahmed Musa, Shola Ameobi, Emmanuel Emenike, Obinna Nsofor, Osaze Odemwingie, Babatunde Michael, Victor Moses, Uche Nwofor and Nnamdi Oduamadi are strikers.