8th African Nations Championship: Eguavoen Drafts Rabiu Ali, 29 Eagles To Camp Against Ghana

<strong><em>Kano Pillars’ Rabiu Ali</em></strong>

AFOLABI SAHEED OLAWALE

Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has invited a total of 30 players to camp as the Nigeria Football Federation activates its commitment to ensuring the qualification of the Super Eagles B for next year’s African Nations Championship finals.

The 8^th edition of the continental championship – reserved exclusively for footballers plying their trade with clubs in their country’s domestic Leagues and possessing standard contracts – is scheduled to run the length of February 2025 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Kano Pillars’ evergreen midfielder, Rabiu Ali, who has scored eight goals this season, is among the players called, alongside Remo Stars’ goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, Rivers United defender Steven Mayo, and Abia Warriors’ exciting forward Sunday Megwo.

There are also Enyimba FC goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, Remo Stars’ wing-back Ismail Sadiq, Enugu Rangers’ midfield ace Kazeem Ogunleye and Nasarawa United forward Anas Yusuf.

Victor Collins, the Nasarawa United defender called up for last month’s 2025 AFCON qualifying matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda, and Plateau United’s Adamu Abubakar, are also called up.

All the invited players have been instructed to arrive at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State on Wednesday, 4^th December 2024, where the team will train ahead of the first leg of the qualification fixture against Ghana’s Black Stars B, billed for the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, 22^nd December. The second leg will take place at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, 28^th December.

Ghana stopped Nigeria from reaching the Africa Nations Championship finals in 2009 and 2023. In the qualifiers for the inaugural edition hosted by Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria took a 2-0 first-half lead in the opening leg in Accra, only to concede three goals in the second half. The return leg in Calabar ended 0-0. In the qualifiers for the last edition hosted by Algeria, Ghana won 2-0 at home and lost 0-2 in Abuja, but prevailed after a penalty shootout at the MKO Abiola National Stadium.

30 PLAYERS FOR SUPER EAGLES B CAMPING IN IKENNE-REMO

Goalkeepers: Henry Ozoemena (Enyimba FC); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars); Nurudeen Badmus (Kwara United)

Defenders: Ismail Sadiq (Remo Stars); Waliu Ojewole (Ikorodu City); Imo Obot (Enyimba FC); Taiwo Abdulrafiu (Rivers United); Junior Nduka (Remo Stars); Victor Collins (Nasarawa United); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International); Steven Mayo (Rivers United)

Midfielders: Jide Fatokun (Remo Stars); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Saviour Isaac (Rangers International); Musa Zayyad (El-Kanemi Warriors); Emmanuel Ogbole (Kwara United); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); Kazeem Ogunleye (Rangers International)

Forwards: Anas Yusuf (Nasarawa United); Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United); Osy Martins (Lobi Stars); Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars); Temitope Vincent (Plateau United); Samuel Ogunleye (3SC); Abiam Nelson (Kano Pillars); Meyiwa Oritseweyimi (Bendel Insurance); Ngbemena Ikechukwu (Heartland FC); Sunday Megwo (Abia Warriors); Umar Al-Amin Ibrahim (El-Kanemi Warriors); Adams Aminu Sani (Kano Pillars)