.Beckons On Akpoveta, Others As Second Batch Begins –
Reports from the camp of national U-23 Men’s football team, Dream Team VI in Abuja say Coach Samson Siasia has concluded the screening for the first batch of foreign-based professional players invited for the team’s screening exercise at the FIFA Goal Project.
Timi Ebikagboro, Media Officer of the U-23 Eagles hinted in a press release that Coach Siasia addressed the players after the exercise, and thanked them for finding time out of their busy schedule to participate in the screening. According to Ebikagboro, Siasia described the players as real patriots of Nigeria.
“I must commend you all for coming down despite the short notice. You guys have sacrificed a lot to come here. I want to commend your efforts and assure you that we will not forget you in our plans”.
He said that after the whole exercise, he would meet with his technical crew to cross the T’s and dot the I’s to select a credible team for Nigeria, promising that merit would be their watchword.
Coach Siasia disclosed that many of the invited foreign-based players could not come as expected due to the fact that their letters of invitation were not sent on time to their respective clubs, noting however that now that that hurdle had been scaled, many of them would report to camp from this week. ”A lot of them will be available from 4 January when the team will reconvene for the final phase of preparations for the team’s first game against Gabon in February”.
According to Ebikagboro, 10 players namely Aminu Umar of Samsunspor FC, Turkey, Samuel Ayinoko of Angelholms FV, Sweden, Nansil Selbol of Sporting Kansas, USA, Fred Friday of Lillestrom, Norway, Amuzie Stanley of Sassuolo Calsio, Italy, Oladele Oshobe of Lokomotive Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Atanda Sodiq of FK Apolonia FC, Albania, Lawal Abidemi of FC Naftan and Sunday Ubale of Ukurd FC, Sweden, took part in the five-day screening exercise.
Meanwhile a new batch of foreign-based professionals will begin their screening exercise this week, with four of them already in camp.
They are Oke Akpoveta of Bronshoj BK, Denmark, Haruna Garba of FK Krouja, Lithuanian Alyga, Ashirumusefiu Olasunkanmi and Onuachu Paul Eber both of FC Midtjyllan, Denmark.
