MFM’s Olatunbosun missing as Salisu names 23-man list for CHAN

One of the players that lighted up 2016/17 last season’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Mountain of Fire and Miracles Football Club’s forward, Sikiru Olatunbosun, name was omitted in the 23-man squad as released by the Nigeria Football Federation.

Listed in the team by the Head Coach, Salisu Yusuf, for the Super Eagles B for the fifth African Nations Championship (CHAN) beginning next week in Morocco, are goalkeeper and skipper Ikechukwu Ezenwa, midfield Trojan Rabiu Ali and marksman Anthony Okpotu.

Those that will compete with Ezenwa in the goalkeeping position are Oladele Ajiboye and Theophilus Afelokhai. However, defensive stalwarts, Osas Okoro, Stephen Eze and Kalu Orji Okogbue also made the list, as midfielders Ifeanyi Ifeanyi and Ekundayo Ojo and forwards Sunday Faleye and Emeka Atuloma also made the team

The players and officials are expected to jet out of the country in a few days, to continue preparations in Morocco ahead of country’s first match of the campaign against Rwanda in Tangier on January 15.The 2014 bronze medallists will also play 2014 champions, Libya, at the same Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier on January 19, before travelling to Agadir to tackle Equatorial Guinea on January 23.

Full List
Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba FC); Oladele Ajiboye (Plateau United); Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba FC)
Defenders: Osas Okoro (Rangers International), Daniel James (Plateau United), Kalu Orji Okogbue (Rangers International), Ikouwem Utin (Enyimba FC), Abdullahi Musa (Wikki Tourists), Timothy Danladi (Katsina United), Ifeanyi Nweke (Kano Pillars), and Stephen Eze (Kano Pillars).
Midfielders: Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akwa United), Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars), Augustine Oladapo (Enyimba FC), and Ekundayo Ojo (Sunshine Stars).
Forwards: Emeka Atuloma (Rivers United), Anthony Okpotu (Lobi Stars), Eneji Moses (Plateau United), Ibrahim Mustapha (Enyimba FC), Emeka Ogbuh (Rivers United), Sunday Faleye (Akwa United), Nura Muhammed (El-Kanemi Warriors), and Okechukwu Gabriel (Akwa United).

It will be recalled that Olatunbosun played a pivotal role in MFM’s coming second behind eventual NPFL’s champion, Plateau United. One of his goals, a curled wonderful free-kick over Abia Warriors’ defensive wall from the edge of the 18-yard won an international award.