Ezenwa, 17 Others Selected For WAFU Cup

Head Coach of the home-based Super Eagles squad, Salisu Yusuf has shortlisted goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Dele Ajiboye and 16 other players for this month’s West African Football Union Cup of Nations tournament for senior national teams taking place in Ghana.

The Full list of selected players:

Goalkeepers:

Ikechukwu Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah);

Dele Ajiboye (Plateau United)

Defenders:

Stephen Eze (FC IfeanyiUbah);

Emmanuel Ariwachukwu (Akwa United);

Chima Akas (Enyimba FC);

Osas Okoro (Rangers International);

Adeleye Olamilekan (FC IfeanyiUbah);

Daniel James (Plateau United)

Midfielders:

Afeez Aremu (Akwa United);

Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akwa United);

Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars);

Samuel Mathias (El-Kanemi Warriors);

Destiny Ashadi (Katsina United)

Forwards:

Gabriel Okechukwu (Akwa United);

Kingsley Eduwo (Lobi Stars);

Peter Eneji (Plateau United);

Ubong Friday (Akwa United);

Anthony Okpotu (Lobi Stars)

Home-based eagles will play Sierra Leone in the first round of the tournament (which is a knockout) before eight teams will emerge for a group phase competition. The competition takes place 9th – 24th September.

In the same Group A that has Nigeria, host Ghana will play The Gambia, Mali are up against Mauritania and Guinea Bissau will clash with Guinea.

Ghana and Nigeria have seven African titles between them, with the Super Eagles and the Black Stars featuring in the last two FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa (2010) and Brazil (2014).

All the teams in Group A will play in Takoradi, the twin city of Sekondi that also hosted matches during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

Group B will compete in Cape Coast. 2015 African champions Cote d’Ivoire headline the pool that also has Senegal, Burkina Faso and Benin Republic, with Liberia, Niger Republic, Togo and Cape Verde also involved.

2017 WAFU Cup Of Nations Fixtures

GROUP A (Takoradi)

Ghana Vs The Gambia

Nigeria Vs Sierra Leone

Mali Vs Mauritania

Guinea Vs Guinea Bissau

GROUP B (Cape Coast)

Senegal Vs Liberia

Burkina Faso Vs Niger Republic

Cote d’Ivoire Vs Togo

Benin Republic Vs Cape Verde

Players are to report in Abuja on Wednesday for the trip to Ghana on Thursday, 7th September.