BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
So near, yet very far. Nigeria’s Coach Salisu Yusuf has picked a 20-man squad to face the country’s western neighbours, Benin Republic in a rare fixture of both countries despite their proximity. It is slightly over seven years since both Nigeria and Benin Republic were engaged in a national team fixture.
Before Sunday’s scheduled Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duel, both last met on January 16, 2010 in the Africa Cup of Nations group match in Angola.
Symbolically, it was the first Africa Nations Cup match that former captain, Joseph Yobo was first substituted after having played in every minute of Nigeria’s previous matches since Mali 2002.
Sunday’s match will be Nigeria’s first in Cotonou since the scrappy 1-0 defeat of Benin Squirrels on September 30, 1991 Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifier. It was in that match that pace-setter in goal scoring in the Nigerian professional league, Ishaya Jatau, then with a 17-goal mark, scored his debut and only international goal for Nigeria.
Will Stephen Odey, current league top scorer with 18 goals also use Benin Republic to score his debut international goal? If he does, may it also be the only one for Nigeria.
Also in the squad for the Cotonou assignment are Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Orji Kalu and Osas Okoro, midfielders Alhassan Ibrahim and Ifeanyi Ifeanyi.
FC IfeanyiUbah’s Ezenwa who has been handed the skipper’s armband will undoubtedly want to use the match as well as the return leg to register his relevance to the claim of the mainstream Super Eagles in the next competitive fixtures, especially the back-to-back clashes with eastern neighbours, Cameroon.
Other players picked by Coach Salisu are goalkeepers Dele Ajiboye and Theophilus Afelokhai, defender Chima Akas, midfielder Rabiu Ali and forward Thomas Zenke. According to a press release from the Media Department of the NFF, the other players are: Ifeanyi George, defenders Ariwachukwu Emmanuel, Stephen Eze and Nasiru Sani.
The list also has midfielders Hafiz Aremu, Raphael Ayagwa and Samuel Mathias and forwards Sikiru Olatubosun and Kingsley Eduwo. The team will fly from Kano to Lagos on Friday and then make the short trip to Cotonou by road same day.
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal to take charge of proceedings at the Stade de l’Amitie on Sunday, starting from 4pm. He will be assisted by compatriots Mokrane Gourari (Assistant Referee 1), Mohammed Serradj (Assistant Referee 2) and Said Aquina (Reserve Referee).
After Nigeria failed to reach the finals of the first two editions of the competition exclusively reserved for footballers plying their trade in their countries’ domestic Leagues, the Super Eagles won the bronze medals at the third edition in 2014. They however could not make the knock –out stage at the fourth edition in Rwanda early last year. The return leg will hold at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano on Saturday, 19th August, with the winner qualifying for the 5th African Nations Championship scheduled for Kenya early next year.

20 EAGLES FOR COTONOU

Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah); Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba FC); Dele Ajiboye (Plateau United)

Defenders: Orji Kalu (Rangers International); Stephen Eze (FC IfeanyiUbah); Ariwachukwu Emmanuel (Akwa United); Chima Akas (Enyimba FC); Nasiru Sani (Katsina United); Osas Okoro (Rangers International)

Midfielders: Hafiz Aremu (Akwa United); Raphael Ayagwa (Lobi Stars); Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akwa United); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Samuel Mathias (El-Kanemi Warriors); Alhassan Ibrahim (Akwa United)

Forwards: Sikiru Olatubosun (MFM FC); Thomas Zenke (Nasarawa United); Stephen Odey (MFM FC); Kingsley Eduwo (Lobi Stars); Ifeanyi George (Rangers International)