Fengor, Bassey complete Eagles team

Fengor Ogude

The only foreign-based player invited to the Abuja camp of the Super Eagles Fengor Ogude arrived in camp by Monday night just as Lobi Stars’ Bassey Ezekiel joined the team on Tuesday to bring the number of players in this first part of the camping to 24. Ezekiel is a late replacement for Heartland’s Kalu Orji, who is reportedly injured and thus out of the plans for South Africa 2013. Apart from Fengor who got clearance from the Eagles managers to arrive late, Orji was the only player who did not turn up on Sunday amongst the players called up for this stage.

Fengor who plays for Velaranga of Norway said he is very optimistic about his chances to pick a shirt for the Nations Cup holding in South Africa. He has not been a regular face in the team since the team began the run to South Africa. All the players in camp worked out on Tuesday mainly on fitness under the supervision of assistant coach Daniel Amokachi. All of them reportedly gave quality response as the contest for places in the team continues.

Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has pleaded with Nigerians not to distract the team from focusing on set goals of excelling in South Africa.

He said, “The entire team needs absolute concentration but everyday there are reports about divisions in the team and several other negative stories and that is not good for the type of team we want to build for the Nations Cup.”

The former Eagles captain to several Africa Nations Cups reiterated on Tuesday that he had full support from the Nigeria Football Federation concerning his programmes for the Nations Cup and beyond. He was said to be in a meeting at the federation office on Tuesday which made Amokachi to run the morning training session.

The NFF is expected to announce latest by Friday the 17 foreign-based professionals who will join Keshi and the final selection from the Abuja camp in Portugal.

Nigeria is in Group C for the African championship alongside defending champions Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. Eagles are returning to the main stage after missing the 2012 edition having lost the spot to Guinea in Abuja on the last day of the qualifying series. Nigeria is returning to the African stage after failing to qualify for the 2012 edition which was played in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea.