Keshi snubs Yobo again

…Recalls Kalu Uche, Emenike others for ‘Super-Jumbo’ matches

Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has invited a total of 30 players to prosecute the team’s jumbo schedule between the end of May and mid-July, in which about 10 matches loom.

The African champions have a high-profile friendly against CONCACAF champions, Mexico in Houston, Texas, USA on the last day of May, before two World Cup qualifying matches in Nairobi and Windhoek that come before the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil.

Nigeria play Tahiti, Uruguay and Spain in Brazil, but will play two more games if they advance to the knock-out stage, before returning to Africa for a 2014 African Nations Championship qualifying fixture against Cote d’Ivoire.

Usual suspects, Vincent Enyeama, Mikel Obi, Efe Ambrose, Godfrey Oboabona, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses are called, as well as dark horses, John Ogu, Michael Babatunde and Anthony Ujah, while midfield ace, Kalu Uche returns after 16 months in the international wilderness. Top scorer of the 29th Africa Cup of Nations, Emmanuel Emenike, back from injury, returns to the fold.

There are four goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven midfielders and 11 strikers. The delegation of 12 home-based players and technical/backroom staff will depart Abuja for the training camp in Nuremberg, Germany, on May 15, while the overseas-based professionals are expected to join the team in Germany as their various Leagues come to an end.

Players in Russia, Ukraine and Norway may only join the team for the matches against Kenya and Namibia, and for the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament. Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria); Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland FC, Nigeria) Defenders: Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Elderson Echiejile (FC Braga, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag, The Netherlands); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Ebenezer Odunlami (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC, Nigeria); Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria) Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Fegor Ogude (Valerenga FC, Norway); John Ogu (Academica de Coimbra, Portugal); Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars, Nigeria); Sunday Mba (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Emeka Ezeh (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria) Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow, Russia); Michael Babatunde (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine); Nnamdi Oduamadi (AS Varese 1910, Italy); Anthony Ujah (FC Cologne, Germany); Kalu Uche (Kasimpasa, Turkey); Gomo Onduku (Sharks FC, Nigeria); Obinna Nwachukwu (Heartland FC, Nigeria); Gambo Mohammed (Kano Pillars, Nigeria).