RandaFooty: Everything Nigerian football, home and abroad

SHOOTING STARS SPORTS CLUB, IBADAN SUNSHINE STARS OF AKURE ENYINMBA FC OF ABA KANO PILLARS WARRI WOLVES pictures are courtesy Bakare Idowu, Soccerpress.net, 50 degreeswest.com, Andrew Randa & Hassan Abdul

Eagles Confederat ions Cup list Nigeria's 23 man list for the Fifa Confederations Cup has been officially announced by the World governing body. The squad is populated by the 2013 Afcon cup winning squad with a sprinkling of emerging players as eight players from the domestic league were also included. Warri Wolves centre back Azubuike Egwekuwe, Godfrey Oboabona of Sunshine Stars, Rangers of Enugu trio of Emeka Eze, Chigozie Agbim and Afcon 2013 final hero Sunday Mba also made the cut.

The national under-20 coach John Obuh has released a 21 man list of players that will represent the country at thr World championship to be hosted by Turkey. Squad regulars like Jeleel Ajagun, Chidi Osuchkwu and Ikechukwu Okorie made the cut, as well as Emem Udouk, Olarenwaju Kayode and Enugu Rangers bulky attacker Alhaji Gero. Below is the full squad for thr bi-annual tournament. Goalkeepers: Samuel Okani (Enyimba), Jonah Usman (ABS FC), John Felegha (Eupen, Belgium) Defenders: Shehu Abdullahi (Kano Pillars), Moses Orkuma (Lobi Stars), Ikechukwu Okorie (Enyimba), Kingsley Madu (El Kanemi), Chizoba Amaefule (Dolphins), Wilfred Ndidi (Nath Boys) Midfielders: Agboyi Ovbokha (Bayelsa United), Abduljaleel Ajagun (Dolphins), Christian Pyagbara (Sharks FC), Uche Agbo (Enyimba), Michael Olaitan (Olympiacos, Greece) Jonah Usman, Sebastien Osigwe, Samuel Okani, John Felegha - pic:-Sebastien Osigwe Forwards: Edafe Egbedi (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Daddy Moses Simon

EL-KANEMI vs. HEARTLAND: A blind spot for the NPFL ‘A game can be fair and not fair. When a referee talks about free and fair, now I understand what they  mean. The match was free but it was not fair’ These were the words of Cajetan Nkwopara, the Media Officer of Heartland Football Club of Owerri in a private chat I had with him after the NPFL week 16 game between El-kanemi Warriors vs. Heartland FC played in Maiduguri which ended in a slim 1 - 0 defeat of the visiting team from Owerri, Heartland FC who are second placed in the league table shortly after loosing a battle of the topper match to the Pillars of Kano in a rescheduled match played in Abuja. Results from those matches have only dropped Heartland to the 3 rd  position behind Kano Pillars and Bayelsa United. 

NPFL WEEK 17 PREVIEW  The ever exciting world of the NPFL enters match day 17 this weekend with the oriental battle between Enugu rangers and Heartland topping the bill. Rangers who just went past CS Sfaxien of Tunisia in the CAF Confederations cup will hope to continue their good form against 3rd place Heartland. 15th place Lobi stars are at home for the second straight week this time hosting El-kanemi warriors in Katsina-Ala. Lobi are unbeaten at their new home. After the abandonment of their midweek action, Warri wolves welcome the darling team of Ibadan Shooting stars. Coach Solomon Ogbeide's wards will surely provide another entertaining match. Akwa united will be in kaduna to play 17th placed Kaduna united who fell 2nil to Bayelsa united on wednesday.