Rabiu Ali returns as Eguavoen invites 30 to camp for Ghana

One of the most outstanding players in Nigeria’s march to the final of the Morocco 2018 African Nations Championship, Rabiu Ali, is among 30 players listed by Coach Austin Eguavoen to face Ghana in the qualifier for the 2025 edition.
 
Ghana stopped Nigeria from qualifying for the last edition of the championship when they defeated the home-based Eagles via penalties, in the final round of the qualifying series in 2023, at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

The eighth edition of the continental championship, reserved exclusively for footballers plying their trade with clubs in their country’s domestic Leagues, and possessing standard contracts, is scheduled to run the length of February 2025 in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Apart from the Kano Pillars’ evergreen midfielder, Ali, who has scored eight goals this season, Eguavoen also invited Remo Stars’ goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, Rivers United defender Steven Mayo, and Abia Warriors’ exciting forward, Sunday Megwo for the two-legged encounter.

There are also Enyimba FC goalkeeper, Henry Ozoemena, Remo Stars’ wing-back Ismail Sadiq, Enugu Rangers’ midfield ace Kazeem Ogunleye, and Nasarawa United forward Anas Yusuf.
Victor Collins, the Nasarawa United defender called up for last month’s 2025 AFCON qualifying matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda, and Plateau United’s Adamu Abubakar, are also called up.

All the invited players have been instructed to arrive at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State on Wednesday, 4th December 2024, where the team will train ahead of the first leg of the qualification fixture against Ghana’s Black Stars B, billed for the Accra Sports Stadium on December 22.   The second leg will be held at the Akwa Ibom Stadium, Uyo, on December 28.

Ghana stopped Nigeria from reaching the Africa Nations Championship finals in 2009 and 2023. In the qualifiers for the inaugural edition hosted by Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria took a 2-0 first-half lead in the opening leg in Accra, only to concede three goals in the second half.
 
The return leg in Calabar ended 0-0. In the qualifiers for the last edition hosted by Algeria, Ghana won 2-0 at home and lost 0-2 in Abuja, but prevailed after a penalty shootout at the MKO Abiola National Stadium.
  
In the full list of players invited for the games are goalkeepers Henry Ozoemena (Enyimba FC); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars); and Nurudeen Badmus (Kwara United).
 
The defenders are Ismail Sadiq (Remo Stars); Waliu Ojewole (Ikorodu City); Imo Obot (Enyimba FC); Taiwo Abdulrafiu (Rivers United); Junior Nduka (Remo Stars); Victor Collins (Nasarawa United); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International); and Steven Mayo (Rivers United), while the midfielders are Jide Fatokun (Remo Stars); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Saviour Isaac (Rangers International); Musa Zayyad (El-Kanemi Warriors); Emmanuel Ogbole (Kwara United); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); and Kazeem Ogunleye (Rangers International).
 
To vie for positions in the attack are Anas Yusuf (Nasarawa United); Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United); Osy Martins (Lobi Stars); Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars); Temitope Vincent (Plateau United); Samuel Ogunleye (3SC); Abiam Nelson (Kano Pillars); Meyiwa Oritseweyimi (Bendel Insurance); Ngbemena Ikechukwu (Heartland FC); Sunday Megwo (Abia Warriors); Umar Al-Amin Ibrahim (El-Kanemi Warriors); and Adams Aminu Sani (Kano Pillars).