Manchester City teenager Kelechi Iheanacho was on Thursday named in coach Sunday Oliseh’s 24-man squad to face Swaziland in FIFA World Cup™ qualifying after initially being left out. The 19-year-old was a notable absentee in the original line-up but the Nigeria Football Federation later announced on Twitter he will feature.
On Wednesday night, Iheanacho justified his first
competitive start for Manchester City with a goal
and two assists against Crystal Palace to set up a League Cup quarter-final against Hull City.
Before then, he had made six appearances totalling less than 45 minutes of action in the English Premier League in his debut season.
Last year, he trained with the 2014 CAF Africa Cup of Nations-bound Super Eagles before finalising his transfer to England. The MVP of the FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013 can play as a striker or in midfield.
Elsewhere, USA-based Obafemi Martins has been recalled after a three-year absence but there was no place for Victor Moses, who has shone at West Ham United while on loan from Chelsea.
Martins, now 31, has been on superb form for Seattle Sounders in Major League Soccer, scoring 15 goals in the regular season.
The former Inter Milan and Newcastle United forward last played for Nigeria in November 2012 in a friendly against Venezuela. The core of the latest squad is from the country’s selection for recent friendlies against DR Congo and Cameroon in Belgium.
Both Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and UAE-based striker Emmanuel Emenike, who have
announced their retirement from international football, were not picked. The first leg of the Russia 2018 qualifier will be played on 13 November in Lobamba with the return leg in Port Harcourt four days later.
Nigeria squad:
Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers/ENG), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars), Dele Alampasu (Club Desportivo Feirense/POR)
Defenders: Abdullahi Shehu (Uniao da Madeira/POR), Kalu Orji (Enugu Rangers FC), Elderson Echiejile (AS Monaco/FRA), Chima Akas (Sharks FC), Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz/GER), Godfrey Oboabona (Caykur Rizespor/TUR), Efe Ambrose (Celtic/SCO), Austin Oboroakpo (Abia Warriors)
Midfielders: Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio/ITA), Paul Onobi
(Sunshine Stars), John Mikel Obi (Chelsea/ENG), Rabiu Ibrahim (AS Trencin/SLO), Wilfred Ndidi
(KRC Genk/BEL), Sylvester Igbonu (FC Ufa/RUS)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Moses Simon (KAA Gent/BEL), Odion Ighalo (Watford/ENG), Ezekiel Bassey (Enyimba FC), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal/ENG), Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders/USA), Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City/ENG).
© AFP