Obama Invitational Tournament; Siasia Invites 30 Home-Based Eagles

SOURCE

Coach Samson Siasia will lead a largely home-based Super Eagles to an invitational tournament in the United States of America, taking place from February 12 - 20, 2011. Organizers of the United States president’s day celebration soccer invitational tournament, the Green Soccer Bowl, have confirmed Nigeria as one of the eight teams that will take part in the tournament.

According to information made available to SuperSport.com by the NFF chief media officer, Ademola Olajire, the competition is in honour of United States president Barack Obama and it will take place at the Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas venue of Nigeria’s first ever Fifa World Cup finals match, which ended in a 3-0 whitewash of Bulgaria in June 1994.

Already, draws for the tournament have been made with the Super Eagles having to contend with Iraq, Poland and Malaysia in Group A, while Egypt, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kenya and Bahrain will play in Group B.

Ahead of this event, coach Siasia, who is presently spending the yuletide holidays with his family in the United States of America, will return to Nigeria early January and to start camping programme for his home-based squad on January 10.

Three goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven midfielders and 12 strikers have been invited to the camp in Abuja.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Bassey Akpan (Heartland FC), Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves), Ogwu Chinedu (Kaduna United).

Defenders: Nwabili Valentine (Enyimba FC), Chibuzor Okonkwo, Gege Soriola (Heartland FC), John Agbawu (Lobi Stars), Wasiu Sowemimo (Kano Pillars), Bartholomew Akakem (Ocean Boys), Kenneth Omeruo (Sunshine Stars), ThankGod Ike (Warri Wolves)

Midfielders: Bartholomew Ibenegbu, Julius Ubido (Heartland FC), Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars), ThankGod Amaefule (Sharks FC), Daniel Mende, Cletus Itodo (Sunshine Stars), Uche Kalu (Enyimba).

Forwards: Gbolahan Salami (3SC), Osas Okoro (Heartland FC), Moses Ogaga, John Huan (Kano Pillars), Ekigho Ehiosun (Warri Wolves), Frederick Okpara, Ejike Uzoenyi (Rangers FC), Kabiru Waziri (Plateau United), Femi Balogun (Kaduna United), Lazarus Chukwu (Gombe United), Stanley Okoronkwo (Sharks FC), Abdul Jelil Ajagun (Dolphin FC)

am confused so since we playing this tornament on the 11 does it mean dat we wont play any friendly on the 9th because this homebase players are definetly not naija future probably only gbolahan salami and maybe ibenegbu dat might be half good enough

forgot to say merry christmas to u semid4life

12large1:

forgot to say merry christmas to u semid4life

Merry Christmas and happy new year to you too.

Hope you'll behave and be a good boy in the new year

Lol!

So no match for the SE throughout January?
Not sure if Siasia is going to pick up to 5 HB players for his future SE team.

Good to know that Sia1 has plans for the local based players. I'm a bit disappointed that Chima Akass(3SC), Mohammed Gambo(Pillars) and Ukeyinma Akonmbo(Sunshine Stars) didn't make the team, they've done very well this season.
I believe there'll be other FIFA free days to experiment with the foreign based players