Sports
Keshi Names Ujah In Super Eagles Squad
FC Cologne striker Anthony Ujah has been handed a call-up to the Nigeria squad to face Mexico later this month in Houston.
Ujah, 22, is part of a 25-man squad named by Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi for the May 31 international friendly.
It will be the first senior call-up for the former Kano Pillars and Warri Wolves forward, who has already represented Nigeria at national Under-23 level.
African champions Nigeria are preparing for two 2014 Fifa World Cup Qualifying matches in June before travelling to Brazil to participate in the Fifa Confederations Cup.
The Super Eagles will count on its English Premier League stars to lead the way, including Chelsea midfielders John Mikel Obi, and Victor Moses, one of the top wingers in European soccer.
Ujah is one of two players based in the German Bundesliga, with two from Italy’s Serie A, two from the Scottish Premier League and two from the Portuguese Liga. Mexico is expected to release its roster in the coming days.
Mexico and Nigeria have met three times with a 1-0-2 record in favour of Mexico. The two teams last met in October of 2007 in an international friendly, with the match ending in a 2-2 tie at the Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.
NIGERIA FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves/NGA), Austin Ejide (Hapoel/ISR), Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv/ISR)
Defenders: Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves/NGA), Efe Ambrose (Celtic/SCO), Elderson Echiéjilé (Sporting de Braga/POR), Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag/NED), Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars/NGA), Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars/NGA), Francis Benjamin (Heartland FC/NGA), Odunlami Kunle (Sunshine Stars FC/NGA)
Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea/ENG), Victor Moses (Chelsea/ENG), Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio/ITA), John Ogu (Academia de Coimbra/POR), Obinna Nwachukwu (Heartland/NGA), Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers/NGA), Michael Babatunde (Kryvbas Kryvyi/UKR), Reuben Gabriel (Kilmarnock/SCO)
Forwards: Joseph Akpala (SV Werder Bremen/GER), Brown Ideye (FC Dynamo Kyiv/UKR), Anthony Ujah (FC Koln/GER), Nnamdi Oduamadi (Varese/ITA), Kalu Uche (Kasýmpaþa Spor Kulübü /TUR), Gambo Muhammad (Kano Pillars FC/NGA)
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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