Super Eagles players currently camping in Faro, Portugal, are competing intensely to be on the final list of 23 players for the Africa Cup of Nations, a Nigerian football official has said.
Speaking in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday, the Chief Media Officer of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Mr Ademola Olajire, said both the foreign and home-based professionals had been working very hard to be part of the team for the tournament.
The tournament has been scheduled to run from Jan. 19 to Feb. 10. Olajire said Coach Stephen Keshi had decided that players that would make the final list of 23 players would do so on merit. ·
``The players are giving their best; they all want to be at the Nations Cup. ``Of course you know we have a good number of home-based professionals also competing for shirts, they also want to be on the team. We have a head coach who is not given to just playing names.
``He has decided on current form. It is whoever shows greater hunger and purpose, who will be on the list, whether you are home-based or you play overseas.
``So, it’s been very competitive in the camp; and every player has been giving his all, staking a claim to why he must be on that list of 23 players. It’s been very competitive out there.’’
Olajire said the inability of Shola Ameobi of Newcastle United and Danny Shittu of Muillwallto to report to camp would not distract the team as the coaches would work with the players already in camp.
He said the Eagles would play another friendly match with Cape Verde on Jan. 9, while the final 23-man team that would represent the country in South Africa would be sent home by the coach by midnight of same day.
According to him, there is great enthusiasm in the camp as the coaches and players have shown the passion and desire to do the nation proud at the tournament.
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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