Eagles get ready for Ethiopia

Football | Super Eagles

Nigeria's preparation for the second leg of their Fifa 2014 World Cup qualifier against the Walia Antelopes of Ethiopia kicked off on Monday, as players invited for the game are expected to hit the Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel Camp in Calabar.
Chief coach Stephen Keshi has invited a 25 man squad that will prosecute the November 16 clash with Ethiopia, as well as the International friendly with the Azzurri of Italy two days later in London at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground.
Nigeria will hope to scale the last hurdle to qualify for it's fifth appearance at the football fiesta after making her debut at the 1994 Fifa World Cup hosted by the United States of America.
Team skipper, Vincent Enyeama, who has had a tremendous season at French Ligue 1 side SC Lille Metropole will lead the cast that includes the two goal hero from the first leg, Emmanuel Emenike of Fenerbache and John Mikel Obi of Chelsea FC.

Kenneth Omerou and Gabriel Reuben will make their return to the team after recovering from various injuries sustained. Omerou got injured at June's Confederation's Cup and underwent surgery in the summer.
However, he is back to the team after a sterling display for the Chelsea U21 team in their 3-3 draw with West Ham United's U21 team in the Youth Premier League in England.


Chief Coach Stephen Keshi, will be spoilt for choice as he has a full complement of his team save for the withdrawal of Heerenveen of Holland's Uche Nwofor and Real Betis midfielder Nosakhare Igiebor, who is a major doubt for this weekend's clashes.

The former U20 striker copped the injury during Heerenveen's loss away at FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie on November 3 and will definitely miss the game.
“I will be lying if I say I am not disappointed. I can do anything to represent my country and as soon as I picked up that injury, my mind just went to the match (against Ethiopia).
" I am very disappointed to miss out but then that is football,” Nwofor told supersport.com on Sunday from his base in Heerenveen.

His place will be taken by Bright Dike who plays for FC Toronto in America's Major League Soccer (MLS). The burly former Timbers striker scored in Nigeria's friendly with Catalonia prior to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations held in South Africa, and gets another chance to impress yet again.
Another major doubt for the game will be Real Betis midfielder Nosa Igiebor who also picked up a knock a week ago and missed Real Betis 4-1 home loss to FC Barcelona over the weekend.
It remains to see if he will be fit for any of the matches lined up for the Super Eagles, or any replacement will be called up as they step up preparations for the all important clash with Ethiopia in Calabar this weekend.
Emmanuel Emenike's brace at the National Stadium in Addis Ababa in the first leg gave Nigeria a 2-1 away win and put the Super Eagles in pole position for another shot at qualifying to the premier football showpiece event.