- Tips eight CHAN Eagles too
Super Eagles Head Coach, Sunday Oliseh, is considering Chelsea defensive midfielder, John Obi Mikel, and Manchester City youngster, Kelechi Iheanacho, for the 23-man squad that will battle Egypt’s Pharaohs for next month’s 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifying match in Kaduna and Borg El Arab Stadium, Alexandria. Speaking on the players that would be invited for the back-to-back showdown against the North Africans, Oliseh revealed that the team’s technical crew was still working on the final 23man to be invited for the encounter, even as he was set to hit England in the coming days. He added, “Of course, we have a list of players we intend to invite. All we are waiting for now is current form. That is why I need to speak to them, at least 15 to 20, before inviting them. I have not sent out my list of invited players but with this man (Iheanacho) coming in as sub and scoring recently, I’m looking much at him and I need to move up to Manchester, but like I told you I’m waiting for things to be sorted out.
“Hopefully, when all is arranged, I will be in London, he is one of the players I will be hoping to have a word with and also see in a match or training, based on my other schedules.”
Meanwhile, some squad members of the 2016 African Championship in Rwanda are also to be considered for invitation for the 2017 AFCON showdown.
“I intend to start campaigning two weeks to the game. If they are not injured, forget what
happened in Rwanda. The level some of these players showed in the first two games and what they showed in the friendly games we played there will be a minimum of seven to eight of them in the final 23-man, unless they lose their form in two weeks when we come for the game,” Oliseh noted, even as he drummed for the fans’ support during the encounter.
“When I saw Kano Pillars, Rangers game and the jam-packed stadium on TV last weekend, and the way the fans were there to support the team, it was so encouraging that if we are playing in Kaduna and the fans will come out like that against Egypt, they will play the 12th man for the team,” the Eagles coach stressed.
Nigeria will host the seven-time champions in the first leg of the double header, March 25, at the 16,000 capacity Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
The Pharaohs currently top Group G with six points from two games while the Eagles are in second spot with four points from the same number of games.
