By Tunji Faleye
Nigeria Captain Joseph Yobo will
play in his sixth Africa Cup of Nations finals after making the final list of
23 released yesterday night by Coach Stephen Keshi.
The 32-year old defender, who
started off as a junior international striker when Nigeria hosted the
10th FIFA
World Youth Championship (now FIFA U-20 World Cup) in 1999, has previously
played at the 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 finals, winning bronze on four
occasions.
Chelsea FC of England midfielder
John Mikel Obi, 11-year veteran goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and ace forward
Ikechukwu Uche are also included.
Apart from Yobo, goalkeepers
Enyeama and Austin Ejide, defender Elderson Echiejile, midfielder Mikel Obi and
forward Ikechukwu Uche who were at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola,
the rest are profile-on-the-rise and ambitious performers ready to captivate Africa.
South Africa 2013 will be the
first Africa Cup of Nations for goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, defenders Kenneth
Omeruo, Efe Ambrose, Azubuike Egwuekwe,
Juwon Oshaniwa and Godfrey Oboabona, midfielders Nosa Igiebor, Ogenyi Onazi,
Obiora Nwankwo, Fegor Ogude and Reuben Gabriel, and strikers Ahmed Musa,
Emmanuel Emenike, Sunday Mba, Brown Ideye, Victor Moses and Ejike Uzoenyi.
2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup silver
medal-winner Omeruo will celebrate his 20th birthday on January 17, the day the
team will land in South Africa, while fellow defender Elderson Echiejile, a
star of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada in 2007, will turn 25 on the eve of
Nigeria’s first game against Burkina Faso.
Two-time champions Nigeria play
Burkina Faso, Zambia and Ethiopia in Group C, with their first two games
against the Etalons and the Cup holders coming up inside Nelspruit’s Mbombela
Stadium on 21st January and 25th January respectively, before a clash with
Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes in Rustenburg’s Bafokeng Sports Palace on 29th
January.
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