World’s football governing body, FIFA, will on or before May 13 get the Super Eagles’ provisional list for the 2014 World Cup, a staff of the technical department of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has disclosed.
The official who preferred anonymity assured that all hands were on deck between the NFF and Super Eagles’ gaffer, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, to make sure that there was no delay in submitting to FIFA in order to beat the deadline stipulated by the world soccer body.
“We knew those that will be going to the World Cup Finals. It is obvious we are just looking to see whether three or four new faces can make the numbers. Of course, after the international friendly against Scotland, the picture will be clearer and I’m sure the list will be out thereafter,” he said.
It is left to be seen whether skipper Joseph Yobo will be retained in the squad after injury stopped him from making the recent warm-up against Mexico and the likes of newly capped Leon Balogun, Ramon Azeez, Ezekiel Imoh and Michael Uchebo make the trip to Brazil though it’s likely that some of them will be in the squad.
Another player who could well miss out is Villarreal striker, Ike Uche, who Keshi said is not tactically disciplined, a claimed that has been dismissed by both Uche and his club officials.
Also, It will be interesting to see if Osaze Odemwingie would be recalled and how many players from the domestic league will be part of the World Cup rehearsals.
The squad will from London fly out to Houston, Texas, from where they will play two more warm-up games against United States of America and Greece before they depart for Brazil on June 11.
