Several Super Eagles’ stars have taken the time to voice their sentiments after Nigeria’s provisional 30-man list for the 2014 Fifa World Cup finals in Brazil was made public on Tuesday.
Midfielder, Sunday Mba was first to speak to supersport.com.
Mba was impressive at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa where he scored winning goals in the team’s quarterfinal and final games against the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso respectively.
He joined French Ligue 2 side CA Bastia in January but failed to prevent the club’s relegation and with many questioning his move to France’s second tier, it was thought that his international future was in doubt.
Such fear has now been effectively quashed with Nigeria head coach, Stephen Keshi, handing out a call up to the gifted 25-year-old who struggled to contain his joy at the news.
“I was preparing for our (Bastia’s Ligue 2) game against Clermont Foot on Tuesday night when I heard the news. I screamed and laughed at the same time as my puzzled teammates asked what the matter was,” Mba exclusively told supersport.com yesterday.
He said nothing has been decided as he still had to work hard to seal his place in the final 23-man squad.
Brown Ideye and John Ogu have expressed disappointment they have been left out of Nigeria World Cup squad.
Dynamo Kiev striker Ideye said he was devastated he was excluded from the Super Eagles provisional squad for Brazil 2014 announced by coach Stephen Keshi on Tuesday.
“So disappointed, but life does not end here. Life goes on,” he tweeted.
Ideye has scored three goals in 17 games for Dynamo Kiev this season in Ukranian top flight league.
He has scored five goals for the Eagles in 23 games and featured at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, which Nigeria won.
He was also part of the Nigeria squad to South Africa 2010 as a replacement for injured Mikel Obi, but he won’t now be going to his second World Cup.
Another dropped star John Ogu told AfricanFootball.com he has taken the decision to overlook him in good faith.
“No hard feelings towards anybody for the omission, I leave all for God, he has reasons for everything that happens.
“Nigeria is my country, I will always pray and support the team, it is my country and I am always proud of the colour. I have taken it in good faith. AFCON 2015 is around the corner,” Academica de Coimbra of Portugal midfielder told AfricanFootball.com
This season, Ogu has struggled for game time at his modest Portuguese club, which he said was because he insisted on going on international duty with Nigeria.
