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Manchester City teenager Kelechi Iheanacho was on Thursday named in coach Sunday Oliseh’s 24-man squad to face Swaziland in World Cup qualifying after initially being left out. The 19-year-old was a notable absentee in the original line-up but the Nigeria Football Federation later announced on Twitter he will feature. On Wednesday night, Iheanacho justified his first competitive start for Manchester City with a goal and two assists against Crystal Palace to set up a League Cup quarter-final against Hull City. Before then, he had made six appearances totalling less than 45 minutes of action in the English Premier League in his debut season. Last year, he trained with the 2014 African Nations Championship-bound Super Eagles before finalising his transfer to England. The MVP of the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup can play as a striker or in midfield. Elsewhere, US-based Obafemi Martins has been recalled after a three-year absence but there was no place for Victor Moses, who has shone at West Ham United while on loan from Chelsea. Martins, now 31, has been on superb form for Seattle Sounders in the MLS, scoring 15 goals in the regular season. The former Inter Milan and Newcastle United forward last played for Nigeria in November 2012 in a friendly against Venezuela. The core of the latest squad is from the country’s selection for recent friendlies against DR Congo and Cameroon in Belgium. Both Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and UAE-based striker Emmanuel Emenike, who have announced their retirement from international football, were not picked. The first leg of the 2018 World Cup qualifier will be played on November 13 in Lobamba with the return leg in Port Harcourt four days later.
Nigeria squad to play Swaziland:Goalkeepers: Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers/ENG), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars), Dele Alampasu (Club Desportivo Feirense/POR) Defenders: Abdullahi Shehu (Uniao da Madeira/POR), Kalu Orji (Enugu Rangers FC), Elderson Echiejile (AS Monaco/FRA), Chima Akas (Sharks FC), Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz/GER), Godfrey Oboabona (Caykur Rizespor/TUR), Efe Ambrose (Celtic/SCO), Austin Oboroakpo (Abia Warriors) Midfielders: Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio/ITA), Paul Onobi (Sunshine Stars), John Mikel Obi (Chelsea/ENG), Rabiu Ibrahim (AS Trencin/SLO), Wilfred Ndidi (KRC Genk/BEL), Sylvester Igbonu (FC Ufa/RUS) Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Moses Simon (KAA Gent/BEL), Odion Ighalo (Watford/ENG), Ezekiel Bassey (Enyimba FC), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal/ENG); Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders/USA) By AFP |
