Chan team list released

Keshi picks Agbim, Egwuekwe, 21 others for CHAN

Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has picked first choice goalkeeper and

skipper Chigozie Agbim, defender Azubuike Egwuekwe, midfielder Joshua

Obaje and forward Gbolahan Salami among 23 players that will represent

Nigeria at the 3rd African Nations Championship in South Africa.

Usual suspects Solomon Kwambe, Francis Benjamin, Kunle Odunlami, Umar

Zango, Barnabas Imenger, Daniel Akpeyi and Ifeanyi Ede also make the

list, but former junior internationals Abdullahi Shehu and Christian

Pyagbara also make the cut, with FIFA U-17 World Cup winner Dele

Alampasu expectedly joining the big boys so early.

Nigeria take on host South Africa, Mali and Mozambique in Group A of

the championship reserved for senior players plying their trade in the

domestic League of their countries. The competition runs from 11th

January – 1st February, 2014 in three South African cities.

In his quest to win the tournament just as he did at the full-strength

Africa Cup of Nations staged in the same country early 2013, Coach

Keshi has picked three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders

and six forwards.

Injury has knocked off Gambo Mohammed

Agbim, Kwambe, Benjamin and Egwuekwe are integral part of Nigeria’s A

Team, while Pyagbara and Shehu played for the Flying Eagles at the

African Youth Championship in Algeria and the FIFA U-20 World Cup in

Turkey in 2013.

Alampasu was selected as the Best Goalkeeper as Nigeria’s U-17 side

cruised to a record fourth win at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the

United Arab Emirates October/November 2013.

GOALKEEPERS: Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers); Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland

FC); Dele Alampasu (Abuja Football College)

DEFENDERS: Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars); Francis Benjamin

(Heartland FC); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves); Kunle Odunlami

(Sunshine Stars); Ikechukwu Gabriel (Bayelsa United); Umar Zango (Kano

Pillars); Bright Esieme (Enyimba FC); Erhun Obanor (Insurance FC)

MIDFIELDERS: Ugonna Uzochukwu (Enugu Rangers); Rabiu Ali (Kano

Pillars); Christian Pyagbara (Sharks FC); Ikenna Hilary (Sunshine

Stars); Abdullahi Shehu (Kano Pillars); Joshua Obaje (Warri Wolves)

FORWARDS: Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers); Gbolahan Salami (Shooting

Stars); Barnabas Imenger (Lobi Stars); Aliyu Ibrahim (Nasarawa

United); Christian Obiozor (Enugu Rangers); Ifeanyi Ede (Enyimba FC)