World Cup Qualifier: Eagles Begin Camping For Malawi

Super Eagles will begin camping tomorrow in Abuja ahead of the crucial final leg of the preliminary round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Malawi September 7 at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Cross River State and the international friendly game against the Etalons of Burkina Faso in Kaduna three days later.

The camp will commence with the home base professionals invited for the all-important make or mar World Cup qualifier encounter. The team will be join by their foreign based counterparts unfailingly in Calabar September 2.

Keshi had earlier released 42 names comprising of 24 local and 18 foreign base players for the encounter, but was instructed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to cut down the list to 23-man squad and focus primarily on earning Nigeria the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals ticket, before the business of full preparation for the 2014 African Nations Championship coming up in South Africa early next year.

Rose from its meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the NFF technical and development committee urged Coach Stephen Keshi to do away with the jumbo list of 42 that he had earlier submitted, saying earning a ticket to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil should be his immediate target for now.

“We must be very pragmatic and take it one step at a time. The 2014 FIFA World Cup ticket is very, very important to Nigeria and Nigerians. Yes, we have qualified for the African Nations Championship, for the first time ever, and we very much appreciate it.

“But there are three very crucial 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches that we must prosecute successfully to qualify for Brazil before we can start the build-up to the African Nations Championship,” chairman NFF technical committee, Barrister Chris Green said.

The 18 foreign-based stars invited for the game are Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Efe Ambrose, Elderson Echiejile, John Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi and Victor Moses. Others are Emmanuel Emenike, who is making a returns to the team for the first after his heroic performance at the South Africa Cup of Nations, Ahmed Musa and Brown Ideye. Two-goal hero in last week’s Nelson Mandela Challenge against South Africa, Uche Nwofor also handed another chance to prove that his match winning performance was not a fluke. Spain-based midfielder Nosa Igiebor is also make a returns for the first time since the Africa Cup of Nations finals. England-based Shola Ameobi and Lokomotiv Moscow’s Obinna Nsofor also make list.

Super Eagles, on nine points, need only a draw against seven-points Malawi at the U. J. Esuene Stadium on 7th September, to reach the final round of the African qualifying race for next year’s showpiece in Brazil.