FIFA: Clubs can hold onto players till December 15

Super Eagles Captain, William Troost-Ekong, who recently hinted about retirement from national team duties, is among 55 players named in a provisional list for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations billed to hold in Morocco.

In the list released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), yesterday, Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Eric Chelle, also picked Victor Osimhen, Vice Captain Wilfred Ndidi, and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali for the championship.

Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, defenders Zaidu Sanusi, Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi, midfielders Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi and Raphael Onyedika, and forwards Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Simon Moses and Chidera Ejuke are also listed.

The list also has Nigeria Premier Football League stars Abdulrasheed Shehu, Ebenezer Harcourt, Ekeson Okorie, Chisom Orji and Adekunle Adeleke.
The NFF said that the list would be pruned to 28 players in a matter of days.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to arrive at a training camp in Egypt on December 10, where they are expected to play a couple of friendly matches before the tournament begins on December 21. Nigeria is in Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda.

The full list of players in the team are goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Adebayo Adeleye (Volos FC, Greece); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus), and Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting Lagos).

Picked to vie for positions in the defence are Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany); Ryan Alebiosu (Blackburn Rovers, England); and Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors).

The midfielders in the provisional list are Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Christantus Uche (Crystal Palace, England); Tochukwu Nnadi (Zulte Waregem, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Pisa SC, Italy); Usman Muhammed (Ironi Tiberias, Israel); Peter Agba (Maccabi Haifa, Israel); and Tom Dele-Bashiru (Gençlerbirligi SK, Turkey).

Joining Osimhen in attack are Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham FC, England); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Kelechi Iheanacho (Celtic Glasgow, Scotland); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Victor Boniface (Werder Bremen, Germany); Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor AS, Turkey); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cyriel Dessers (Panathinaikos FC, Greece)among others.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles are likely to play their friendly game against Egypt on December 14 without most of their top players because the world’s football governing body, FIFA, has given the affected clubs the right to hold onto their players until December 15.

It means that while the Eagles are meeting Pharaohs on December 14, Nigerian players in the English Premier League and other clubs in Europe would be playing their teams’ matches on December 14 and 15.

When they join the Super Eagles, it is guaranteed that they will at least miss their clubs’ games for the rest of December, with the group stage ending on December 31.

If Nigeria survives the group stage, the players will be with the team for the round of 16 matches holding between January 3 and 6, the quarterfinals on January 9 and 10, semifinals on January 14 and the final on January 17. Should Nigeria get to the final, the players will miss six of their clubs’ games, but would be available for matches slated for January 24 and 25.