http://worldcup.mtnfootball.com/live/content.php?Item_ID=30280

May 31, 2010

Nigeria have named fit-again Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi in their final 23-man squad for the World Cup, while they will not take a chance on Real Zaragoza striker Ikechukwu Uche.

Nice defender Onyekachi Apam, who has been nursing a knee problem, was also axed from the party.

Top team official, Emmanuel Attah, confirmed the final squad for the World Cup.

Mikel is recuperating from a knee surgery and only joined up with the rest of the squad Friday morning after he was certified fit by doctors of his London club.

Ikechukwu Uche was joint top scorer in the qualifiers with four goals but has been out of action for seven months following a major knee injury.

The other dropped players are Peter Utaka, Victor Anichebe, Bassey Akpan, Terna Suswan and Brown Ideye.

Nigeria coach, Lars Lagerback, said after his team’s 1-1 draw with Colombia in London on Sunday that Mikel was left out of the World Cup warm-up match so as not to put pressure on his injury.

However, he said Mikel will star in the Super Eagles next test game against fellow World Cup finalists North Korea on June 6 in Johannesburg.

AS Monaco midfielder Lukman Haruna was rewarded for his enterprise and equalising goal against Colombia with a spot in the final party. He will thus feature in three World Cups – FIFA Under-17 World Cup, FIFA Under-20 World Cup and now the senior World Cup.

Lagerback made public his final squad after a meeting with NFF top shots led by president Sani Lulu during which he defended his selection.

The final full squad:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv/ISR), Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei Yehuda/ISR), Austin Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva/ISR)

Defenders: Taye Taiwo (Olympique Marseille/FRA), Elderson Echiejile (Rennes/FRA), Chidi Odiah (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Joseph Yobo (Everton/ENG), Daniel Shittu (Bolton Wanderers/ENG), Ayodele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam/NED), Rabiu Afolabi (SV Salzburg/AUS)

Midfielders: Kalu Uche (Almeria/SPA), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham/ENG), Mikel Obi (Chelsea/ENG), Sani Kaita (Alaniya/RUS), Haruna Lukman (AS Monaco/FRA), Yusuf Ayila (Dynamo Kiev/UKR)

Strikers: Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton/ENG), Chinedu Obasi (TSG Hoffenheim/GER), Nwankwo Kanu, John Utaka (Portsmouth/ENG), Obafemi Martins (Wolfsburg/GER), Obinna Nsofor (Malaga/SPA), Osaze Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia)

no surpises here,

too many defensive midfielders just like in the days of Amodu. Anichebe should have been ahead of one of the defensive midfilers

thread existing already.

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