Chelle names 24-man squad for World Cup play-offs with Okoye and Ejuke returning

SUPER Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has named a 24-am squad for the forthcoming World Cup play-offs taking place later this month recalling returnee goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and also bringing back creative playmaker Chidera Ejuke.

On November 13, the eagles face Gabon in the semi-final of the Confederation of African Football play-off in Rabat, Morocco. Should they win, the team will then face the winner of the other semi final between Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final on November 18, with the winner  going on to qualify for an inter-continental play-off taking place in Mexico in March.      

With camp set to open after this weekend's league matches, Mr Chelle and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) have published the list of the 24 invitees for the two games. In the main, there are very few surprises, with the list including all the usual regulars, with the invitation of Okoye and Ejuke the only two main talking points.

Okoye has only recently returned to action after being suspended for being involved in a betting scandal, while Ejuke had been dropped for a loss of form. Notable absentees from the squad are those nursing injuries like Nottingham Forest's Ola Aina, Felix Agu of Werder Bremen and Lazio's Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

As expected, the  list includes team captain William Troost-Ekong, star striker Victor Osimhen, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and reliable defender Calvin Bassey. Veteran midfielder Alex Iwobi, as well as promising youngster Benjamin Fredericks, Frank Onyeka, Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman, are also named in the squad.

Okoye and Sevilla's Ejuke were recalled alongside Club Brugge's Raphael Onyedika, who has just returned from injury. They are all expected to report to camp in Rabat on Monday November 10 alongside the likes of Tolu Arokodare, Jerome Akor Adams and Olakunle Olusegun.

Nigeria will face Gabon in the first semi-final at the 22,000-capacity Complexe Sportif Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan in Rabat next Thursday. Only one African team will qualify for the inter-continental play-offs in March, from which two sides will make the World Cup.

Absentees from the squad who had been touted in recent weeks include Christantus Uche of Crystal  Palace, David Moses of Slavia Prague and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro if Pisa in Italy's Serie A. It appears that Mr Chelle has opted not to take any risks and has instead gone for the tried and tested, sticking to players he knows.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Goalkeepers:

Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy)

Defenders:

William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium)

Midfielders:

Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)

Forwards:

Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham FC, England); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)