Despite claims that in certain quarters that Ahmed Musa of Kano Pillars has been cleared by CAF to feature for the home-based Nigeria national team preparing for qualification for the 8^th edition of the African Nations Championship, he was a clearing absentee in the list released on Monday by Nigeria’s manager, Augustine Eguavoen.

The Head Coach has invited a total of 30 players to camp as the Nigeria Football Federation activates its commitment to ensuring the qualification of the Super Eagles B for next year’s African Nations Championship finals.

The 8^th edition of the continental championship – reserved exclusively for footballers plying their trade with clubs in their country’s domestic Leagues and possessing standard contracts – is scheduled to run the length of February 2025 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Kano Pillars’ evergreen midfielder, Rabiu Ali, who has scored eight goals this season, is among the players called, alongside Remo Stars’ goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, Rivers United defender Steven Mayo, and Abia Warriors’ exciting forward Sunday Megwo.

There are also Enyimba FC goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, Remo Stars’ wing-back Ismail Sadiq, Enugu Rangers’ midfield ace Kazeem Ogunleye and Nasarawa United forward Anas Yusuf.

Victor Collins, the Nasarawa United defender called up for last month’s 2025 AFCON qualifying matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda, and Plateau United’s Adamu Abubakar, are also called up.

All the invited players have been instructed to arrive at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State on Wednesday, 4^th December 2024, where the team will train ahead of the first leg of the qualification fixture against Ghana’s Black Stars B, billed for the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, 22^nd December. The second leg will take place at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, 28^th December.

Ghana stopped Nigeria from reaching the Africa Nations Championship finals in 2009 and 2023. In the qualifiers for the inaugural edition hosted by Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria took a 2-0 first-half lead in the opening leg in Accra, only to concede three goals in the second half. The return leg in Calabar ended 0-0. In the qualifiers for the last edition hosted by Algeria, Ghana won 2-0 at home and lost 0-2 in Abuja, but prevailed after a penalty shootout at the MKO Abiola National Stadium.

30 PLAYERS FOR SUPER EAGLES B CAMPING IN IKENNE-REMO

Goalkeepers: Henry Ozoemena (Enyimba FC); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars); Nurudeen Badmus (Kwara United)

Defenders: Ismail Sadiq (Remo Stars); Waliu Ojewole (Ikorodu City); Imo Obot (Enyimba FC); Taiwo Abdulrafiu (Rivers United); Junior Nduka (Remo Stars); Victor Collins (Nasarawa United); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International); Steven Mayo (Rivers United)

Midfielders: Jide Fatokun (Remo Stars); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Saviour Isaac (Rangers International); Musa Zayyad (El-Kanemi Warriors); Emmanuel Ogbole (Kwara United); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); Kazeem Ogunleye (Rangers International)

Forwards: Anas Yusuf (Nasarawa United); Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United); Osy Martins (Lobi Stars); Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars); Temitope Vincent (Plateau United); Samuel Ogunleye (3SC); Abiam Nelson (Kano Pillars); Meyiwa Oritseweyimi (Bendel Insurance); Ngbemena Ikechukwu (Heartland FC); Sunday Megwo (Abia Warriors); Umar Al-Amin Ibrahim (El-Kanemi Warriors); Adams Aminu Sani (Kano Pillars)  

The Confederation of African Football has appointed match officials from Togo to take charge of the 8^th African Nations Championship qualifying match between the senior B teams of Ghana and Nigeria, scheduled for the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, 22^nd December 2024.

The engagement is the first leg of the qualifying fixture between both teams, with the second and concluding leg to take place at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, 28^th December.

Aklesso Gnama will be in the role of referee, with compatriots Jonathan Ahonto Koffi, Wassiou Tchamolla Ourotou and Kossi Fabrice Senyo as assistant 1, assistant 2 and fourth official respectively.

Ivan Gator Brown from Liberia will serve as commissioner while Beninoise official Hugues Alain Adjovi will be in the role of referee assessor.

For the return leg in Uyo, Moroccans Hamza El Fariq, Abdessamad Abertoune, Zakaria Bouchtaoui and Hicham Temsamani will work as referee, assistant 1, assistant 2 and fourth official respectively, with Prince Kai Saquee from Sierra Leone as commissioner and Miboti Moise from the Democratic Republic of Congo as referee assessor.

The game in Accra will commence at 4pm Ghana time (5pm in Nigeria) while the return leg will kick off at 5pm.

The winner on aggregate will qualify for the 8^th African Nations Championship finals, to be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania – which will use the event as dress rehearsal to test-run facilities and equipment for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals they have been selected to host. The tournament will hold 1^st – 28^th February 2025.

PREVIOUS CHAN FINALS & HOST NATIONS

2009: Cote d’Ivoire

2011: Sudan

2014: South Africa

2016: Rwanda

2018: Morocco

2021: Cameroon

2023: Algeria

2025: Kenya/Uganda/Tanzania 

BY KUNLE SOLAJA

The regulations governing the qualification of players for the African Nations Championship may have ruled out the eligibility of Ahmed Musa from being part of the Nigerian team that will face Ghana next month.

The African Nations Championship is for players who are citizens of the country and play in the domestic league.

Ordinarily, Ahmed Musa who had captained the Nigerian lead brand, Super Eagles, and now features in the domestic league with Kano Pillars should have been eligible.

He has signed for the club and is having his third stint after featuring for Kano Pillars between 2009/10 and 2021.

He signed for the club for the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season as a free agent after terminating his contract with Turkish club Sivasspor in February.

He is with Kano Pillars along with another former Super Eagles player, Sheu Abdullahi on short-term contracts.

That is where there is an issue. Article 38 in Chapter 16 of the Regulations of the African Nations Championship spells out the qualification of players.

Article 38.2 reads: “Only players with permanent contract registered in a local club affiliated to their national association are eligible to participate in the African Nations Championship.”

Musa’s contract with Kano Pillars is short-term.