Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Shaibu Amodu, has picked 23 players to represent Nigeria in next weekend’s all–important 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kenya’s Harambee Stars in Nairobi.
Amodu
On the list are Skipper Nwankwo Kanu, deputy skipper Joseph Yobo and the other 16 players who made the list for the last qualifier against Mozambique in Abuja, and five others.
Nigeria tackle Kenya in a must–win final game of the qualifiers at the Karasani Sports Centre on Saturday, 14 November – the date for the conclusion of the African series for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by the Republic of South Africa.
Also listed are goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama and Bamidele Aiyenugba, defenders Elderson Echiejile and Obinna Nwaneri, midfielders Yusuf Ayila and Osaze Odemwingie and strikers Obinna Nsofor and Obafemi Martins.
The players will start arriving in Nigeria on Monday, November 9 and will depart for Nairobi aboard a chartered flight on the night of Thursday, November 12.
Meanwhile, Head Coach Shaibu Amodu, has travelled out of the country on Sunday to see a couple of injured and recuperating players, with his first stop to be Spain, where he will meet with midfielder Kalu Uche and striker Ikechukwu Uche.
He will then proceed to Switzerland, to see defender Yusuf Mohammed, before leaving for Netherlands where he will meet defender Ayodele Adeleye.
Amodu will round off his tour with a visit to London where he will meet several players before returning to the country this weekend.
Amodu will not play on the field but the players who by their profession has told us they can deliver, if they fail, its to their shame. Better coaches in Europe lose games too. And what do we call it? GAME. Hence, you win some you lose some but our boys should know the importance of this game.
Well on second thought a lot of what Amoodu has been doing may have been incited by instructions from the NFF. E be like say na wetin dem tell am na im e dey do. I mean what shocked me was the pre-match interview before, I think either Mozambique or Tunisia, where he said there was no need to know anything about your opponent. All that is needed is to know that each country has an individual style of play and that is sufficient knowledge needed to play any match. Amazing! Then we dey surprise say we dey where we dey as per world cup qualification?
What is the point of all the travelling around assuming the report is true.
To catch the players out ? Is Mr Amodu even qualified to carry out medical checks on them.
I so hope this report is a fabrication.
The only reason to want to do that is to verify that the players are truly injured but why would the manager need to do that?
If the players are doing the usual save them self for thier club since they think it is a forgone conculsion that we will qualify, I am sure they and club official will fustrate anyones attempt to see them plus why cant the Nigeria Football authority just get the player to go into an independent medical facility for examination in whatever country they are in, that is surely cheaper than Amodu doing all this miles, and when is the match again and when is Amodu suppose to do all this travelling, what about preparing for the game or we should just pray?
Jet lag is not a made up condition.
By the way Amodu alone cannot take the blame, yes he is in charge. There is something rotten about the way we do things, the travelling trip is a good point in case. if it is true that is.