STRIKER Okechukwu Uchebo of Enugu Rangers is among the home-based players coach Samson Siasia announced yesterday for the first phase of training ahead of Egypt 2009 U-20 World Cup.

Uchebo was among the players that won bronze at the Rwanda 2009 African Youth Championship, which held in Kigali in January. Other players in the list released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) includes Uchebo's team mate in Rangers, Emenike Nkume, who was also in the Rwanda 2009 team. Others are Henry Uche of Enyimba, Ifeanyi Ede of Ocean Boys, Uche Okafor of Kaduna United and South Korea 2007 U-17 winning goalkeeper, Oladele Ajiboye of Sunshine Stars.

According to the NFF, the team will start camping at the Gateway Stadium Hotel in Ijebu-Ode from Monday. The NFF disclosed that the Ogun State Government has agreed to make the facilities at the camp available to the team free of charge. Also, the serene Ijebu Ode environment would afford Siasia and his technical crew the opportunity to assess the players and pick the right materials for the World Cup.

According to the NFF, Siasia, who led the Flying Eagles to the African title in Benin Republic in 2005 and to runner-up spot at the World Championship in Holland the same year, before taking the U-23 team to Olympic silver in China last year, believes that the boys listed "are worthy of fighting for shirts in the Nigeria U-20 team" and will have a wonderful camp."

The list also includes defenders Obiora Nwankwo and Samuel Tswanya, and striker Gbolahan Salami, who were also in the Rwanda 2009 team. Adewunmi Adetokunbo, Obiora Nwankwo, Oladele Ajiboye (Wikki Tourists), Michael Odili (Akwa United FC), Chukwuma Izuna, Chidi Osuchukwu (Gateway FC), Efosa Ikhimhin, Tope Amodu, Bolaji Adekunle (3SC), Junior Usifo, Ifeanyi Ede (Ocean Boys FC) and Musa Mustafa equally make the camp.

Others are Henry Uche (Enyimba FC), Uche Okafor (Kaduna Utd FC), Theophilus Afelokhai (Kano Pillars FC), Daniel Atabo, Gbolahan Salami (Sunshine FC), Kelvin David (FC Abuja), Emmanuel Jacob (FC Lokoja), Samson Ekoja (C. Ambassador FC), Samuel Tswanya, Chinedu Justice (Niger Tornadoes FC), Isaac Obonyano (Kano Eleven FC), Uchebo Okechukwu and Emenike Nkume (Enugu Rangers FC).

The rest are Collins Nwaneri, Mba Chimezie, Gideon Tinat (Union Bank FC), Felix Adeworitse (Fame FC), Uthman Abdulkadiri, Olaitan Olukotun (Steeb FC), Oluwole Osundun (ESG FC), Friday Onuju, Monday Mukoro, Kazeem Olaide (COD FC), Ahmed Giwa (Crown FC), Christopher Rotimi (First Bank FC), Mohammed Yahaya (Flash FC), Benjamin Francis (Nasarawa United) and John Dike (OUK FC).

Nigeria is in Group B alongside Venezuela