CHAN Eagles depart for Morocco
Nigeria’s Home-based Eagles will fly out of the
country this night for the 5 African Nations Championship
taking place in Morocco between January 13 –February 4, 2018.
A few days ago, Head Coach Salisu Yusuf named a 23-man
team to fly Nigeria’s flag at the finals, where the 2014 bronze
medallists will play 2014 champions Libya, Rwanda and
Equatorial Guinea in Group C.
Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor said at the weekend that
the delegation will fly aboard a Turkish Airline flight from the
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and connect Rabat
from Istanbul on Tuesday morning.
“The team will train for a few days in Rabat before heading to
Tangier on Friday, 12 January,” Achor explained to thenff.com .
The Ikechukwu Ezenwa-captained squad will take on Rwanda
(hosts of the last edition of the competition two years ago) at
the Stade Ibn Batouta on Monday, January 15, starting from
7.30pm (8.30pm Nigeria time), before games against Libya at
the same venue on Friday, January 19 (starting from 4.30pm;
5.30pm Nigeria time) and Equatorial Guinea in Agadir on
Tuesday, January 23 (starting 7pm Morocco time; 8pm Nigeria
time).
Nigeria failed to qualify for the final competition of the first two
editions of the CHAN, losing to Ghana in 2008 (ahead of Cote
d’Ivoire 2009) and beaten on aggregate by Niger Republic in
2010 (ahead of Sudan 2011).
The Class of 2014 led by Stephen Keshi (of blessed memory)
qualified after edging Cote d’Ivoire 4-3 on aggregate, and then
finished third in South Africa.
In 2015, the team coached by Sunday Oliseh also defeated
Burkina Faso to qualify for the finals, but lost out at group phase
in the finals in Rwanda few months later.
To reach the finals this time, Salisu Yusuf’s wards edged Benin
Republic 2-1 on aggregate.
FULL LIST
Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba FC); Oladele Ajiboye
(Plateau United); Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba FC)
Defenders: Osas Okoro (Rangers International); Daniel James
(Plateau United); Kalu Orji Okogbue (Rangers International);
Ikouwem Utin (Enyimba FC); Abdullahi Musa (Wikki Tourists);
Timothy Danladi (Katsina United); Ifeanyi Nweke (Kano Pillars);
Stephen Eze (Kano Pillars)
Midfielders : Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akwa United); Rabiu Ali (Kano
Pillars); Augustine Oladapo (Enyimba FC); Ekundayo Ojo
(Sunshine Stars)
Forwards: Emeka Atuloma (Rivers United); Anthony Okpotu (Lobi
Stars); Eneji Moses (Plateau United); Ibrahim Mustapha (Enyimba
FC); Emeka Ogbuh (Rivers United); Sunday Faleye (Shooting
Stars); Nur Muhammed (El-Kanemi Warriors); Okechukwu Gabriel
(Akwa United)
