But three Heartland players, ThankGod Ike, Austin Brown and Bello Musa Kofarmata all left on Wednesday to join their club for a CAF Champions League first round fixture in Cameroon this weekend.

Also away from the camp are Enyimba's Osas Idehen.

They are all expected back early next week.

Musa, scorer of 14 goals so far in the league, joined the team along with his Kano Pillars team mate, midfielder Solomon Okpako. Heartland's inventive midfielder Ikechukwu Ibenegbu is also expected to join up with the squad after this weekend's CAF Champions League first leg game against Cameroon's Tiko United FC.

Amokachi, a former World Cup striker, has come under unrelenting criticism following that shock defeat in the first leg, and with Nigeria staring down the barrel, has turned to the 14-goal forward.

"We need the best players from the league, and since he is the highest goalscorer, he should be there," Technical Committee member Taiwo Ogunjobi told KickOffNigeria.com.

The second leg game comes up next weekend in Kano.

Name: 

Comments: 

Captcha:

All Comments: 

jeff:2010-03-18 14:40

Kind of medcine after death, how the league top-scorer was left out of the team that prosecuted the first leg at niamey is a mystery beyond mordern day football...
Oh well, its NFF we re talking of here.
NFF please stick to administrative duties,players invitations and selections is for coaches.

Nero:2010-03-18 14:42

Taiwo Ogunjobi CHAN objective is to get the best players from our local league. why was the top score left behind @ the first place? NFF!!! learn to allow the traners tp select their players by them self.

gerry:2010-03-18 16:01

guys, being top scorer does not mean he must be in the team. Iam not saying that Musa does not worth his inclusion in the squad.

Billion:2010-03-18 16:55

It is God who will help Nigeria indeed not even James Peters cos' he was the one who invited the first crop of players for the first match.

Dawari:2010-03-18 17:40

Watching Ahmed Musa torment Enyimba in Kano made my day...that guy is quick although very naive but all the same he did grab a good goal where he lobbed the Enyimba keeper...You can view dis on the supersport website if u r interested

DANIEL:2010-03-18 18:07

Indeed Nigeria and Nigerians will never learn from History. One question we should ask ourselves is, what are the criteria in picking this players and what level in the league are they playing. if due consideration was followed in picking this boys, i didnt see any reason why the highest goal player should be left behind..., we just have to start removing favoritism and brothernism from this country's football or else we end up regretting again.

Best regards
Daniel

Polly:2010-03-18 22:25

I said it here earlier this week that those that picked and coached the team do not know the local league players well enough. The team that went to Niger was not the best the local league can offer. Now the truth is coming out.

UP SUPER EAGLES.

2drama:2010-03-19 02:20

I trust as usual damage control
na the same thing NFF do when Ghana beat us 3-2

then we come draw in naija and we no see Chan 2009


chei it is happening again

if we no field this team with our best players from NPL

we can kiss the Chan 2011 bye-bye

GK
Austin Brown (Heartland)
Chijioke Ejiogu (Enyimba)

Defenders
ThankGod Ike (Heartland)
John Nnam (Rangers)
Musa Mustapha (Enyimba)
Nnaemeka Anyanwu (Enyimba)

Midfielders
Jonah Abutu (Dolphin)
Josiah Maduabuchi (Enyimba)
Ikechukwu Ibenegbu (Heartland)
Osas Idehen (Enyimba)
Solomon Okpako (Kano Pillars)
Osanga King (Heartland)


Strikers
Ibrahim Babale (Sunshine Stars)
Ahmad Musa (kano Pillars)
Fengor Ogude (Warri Wolves)

extra
Stanley Okoro (Heartland)

sly1:2010-03-19 08:46

Good post 2drama. Just add Chibuzor Okonkwo and Kingsly Udoh, who just came back from trials in Turkey and we will be in business.

emmanuel:2010-03-19 12:04

goodluck nigeria

utibe:2010-03-19 19:01

kano again? wat happen to lagos, abuja, ph even calabar? pls call all the top scorers in d last three years

ken gadaffi:2010-03-20 05:05

It will not be a surprise if Nigeria fails to qualify for CHAN for the second time running. Frankly speaking, it will only go on to show how the decay of our football has become. The fact that the SE are going to the world cup this June is a testament of divine intervention rather than our on the field abilities. We have to understand clearly that even our so called foreign pros are not as great as many may have thought afterall and this is simply because of the poor homebased products. Gone are the days when the local league churn out great stars and our players are toast of the european leagues. These days, we only feed from the scraps left by players from CIV, Cameroon, Ghana and the rest.

What does this point to, it shows that we have poor administrators just as it has been evident in other spheres of our national lives.

Imagine the NFF selecting players for the coach, Imagine James peter now being called up to help Amokachi, Imagine the league's top scorer just being invited when the chips are down already, Imagine the NFF taking the match to Kano.

Everything points to complete maladministration. When people like us continue to lean on FAITH to see us through, we are often being castigated but certainly nothing from the NFF has thus far shown that they have to support our faith with hard work. What people forget is that FAITH and WORK surely goes together but as long as we the fans are not in charge of the work, we can only keep FAITH. Its the onus of the NFF, Coaches and players to do the WORK required for success to be complete.

The more we sit behind the computer and pour out our vituperations against the Coaches and players when they fail to perform without really going for the NFF, the more we will be fed with disappointments.

We need to look forward, we need to take the bull by the horn, we need to clamour for the right people to lead our soccer back to the glory days. Surely we have them around but the political cabal in Nigeria will continue to swallow the good and credible sports administrators we have. Now is the time to voice out or we remain silent forever. FOOD FOR THOUGHTS FOR ALL


THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

ken gadaffi:2010-03-20 10:28

It will not be a surprise if Nigeria fails to qualify for CHAN for the second time running. Frankly speaking, it will only go on to show how the decay of our football has become. The fact that the SE are going to the world cup this June is a testament of divine intervention rather than our on the field abilities. We have to understand clearly that even our so called foreign pros are not as great as many may have thought afterall and this is simply because of the poor homebased products. Gone are the days when the local league churn out great stars and our players are toast of the european leagues. These days, we only feed from the scraps left by players from CIV, Cameroon, Ghana and the rest.

What does this point to, it shows that we have poor administrators just as it has been evident in other spheres of our national lives.

Imagine the NFF selecting players for the coach, Imagine James peter now being called up to help Amokachi, Imagine the league's top scorer just being invited when the chips are down already, Imagine the NFF taking the match to Kano.

Everything points to complete maladministration. When people like us continue to lean on FAITH to see us through, we are often being castigated but certainly nothing from the NFF has thus far shown that they have to support our faith with hard work. What people forget is that FAITH and WORK surely goes together but as long as we the fans are not in charge of the work, we can only keep FAITH. Its the onus of the NFF, Coaches and players to do the WORK required for success to be complete.

The more we sit behind the computer and pour out our vituperations against the Coaches and players when they fail to perform without really going for the NFF, the more we will be fed with disappointments.

We need to look forward, we need to take the bull by the horn, we need to clamour for the right people to lead our soccer back to the glory days. Surely we have them around but the political cabal in Nigeria will continue to swallow the good and credible sports administrators we have. Now is the time to voice out or we remain silent forever. FOOD FOR THOUGHTS FOR ALL


THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH