Salisu Yusuf takes charge of Eagles
...Invites Musa, Simon, 28 others for Mexico, Ecuador friendlies
By George Aluo
With the NFF still unable to appoint a head coach for the Super Eagles, the team’s first assistant coach, Salisu Yusuf has stepped forward to call the shots.
Yusuf who was sacked after Eagles failed to make it to Qatar only to bounce back after few weeks with a fresh appointment this afternoon released his 30-man squad ahead of the international friendly against Mexico and Ecuador in the United States of America.
According to a release by the NFF, Captain Ahmed Musa leads the roll call of Salisu’s army.
The three –time African champions will clash with CONCACAF powerhouse Mexico at the AT & T Stadium in Dallas, State of Texas on Saturday, 28th May, before flying to New Jersey to tackle Ecuador at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison on Thursday, 2nd June.
Yusuf, who is also Head Coach of the CHAN and the U23 teams, has included eight home–based professional players, including goalkeepers Adewale Adeyinka and Ojo Olorunleke, defender Ibrahim Buhari, and forwards Victor Mbaoma and Ishaq Rafiu.
Only 25 players will make the final list for the tour, which is preparatory to next month’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Sierra Leone in Abuja (9th June) and São Tomé & Príncipe in Marrakech, Morocco (13th June).
Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands); Adewale Adeyinka (Akwa United); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Isa Ali (Remo Stars); Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Ibrahim Buhari (Plateau United)
Midfielders: Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Chiamaka Madu (Rivers United); Babatunde Afeez Nosiru (Kwara United); Azubuike Okechukwu (Yeni Malatyaspor, Turkey); Samson Tijani (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria); Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England); Cyriel Dessers (Feyenoord FC, The Netherlands); Victor Mbaoma (Enyimba FC); Ishaq Rafiu (Rivers United)
…WAFU B Tourney: Flying Eagles to grab semi final ticket against Etalons
After a comfortable 2-0 win and three maximum points secured against defending champions and reigning Africa’s best, Ghana on Sunday, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles are expected to keep things intense but firm against the Junior Etalons of Burkina Faso on Wednesday, to earn their semi final ticket at the ongoing WAFU B U20 Championship in Niamey.
Both teams will take the pitch at 5pm at the Stade General Seyni Kountché, the same venue where the Flying Eagles enacted a masterclass to send African champions Ghana tumbling on Sunday. Ibrahim Muhammad and former U17 star Ahmed Abdullahi scored the goals that downed the Black Satellites.
Coach Ladan Bosso still has the full complement of his squad, and is unwilling to rest any of his regulars as he looks to make sure of a place in the last four.
“We must approach the match against Burkina Faso with even stronger determination and desire than we did for the Ghana match. A ticket to the semi finals is key at the moment, and we can then start thinking of a ticket to the final and a place in the Africa Cup of Nations next year.”
Only the two finalists at the WAFU B Championship in Niamey will be eligible for next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations, already scheduled to take place in Egypt February/March.
