Yesterday I wrote about my thoughts on the 30-man list just released by Eagles manager Lars Lagerback.

For the purpose of emphasis,I am reblogging about it today. Enjoy reading.

Lagerback’s 30-man list for the prosecution of Nigeria’s World Cup campaign,just released to the media, is sensible and accurate. It is clear that he has been monitoring thees players closely at their clubs both home and abroad. Although i have said on my blog earlier that it was totally unnecessary for Mr. Lagerback to have called up 44 players initially knowing fully well that it was going to be impossible to properly assess all of them in a training camp prior to the World Cup and in view of their club commitments, i still want to posit that perhaps the best crop of players have been invited.

With the exception of Daniel Shittu who didn’t play a single match for his English club Bolton in the premiership,who lacks top match fitness,and who some may argue has no business with the national team, one may clearly be able to say that the most competitive crop of Nigerian players have been invited.

Amongst the goalkeepers, Greg Etafia, who was the only goalkeeper dropped has played in South Africa for the last couple of years without much of a fantastic output, and has never been outstanding enough to be able to upstage any of Enyeama,Ejide or Aiyenugba so the choice of Bassey Akpan,who has been outstanding in the Nigerian Premier league, and with the home based Eagles,ahead of him is on point.

In the defence i am a little disappointed with the non-inclusion of Siena of italy revelation Micheal Odibe as i think he could have been a big hit but the presence of more experienced players like Yobo,Apam,Shittu,Afolabi,Adeleye and Olubayo put paid to his chances while Sam Sodje does not really have the quality to command an Eagles shirt.

In the midfield and attack, those who were dropped, namely,Joseph Akpalla,Micheal Eneramo,Olufemi Ajilore,Omatsone Aluko,Onyekachi Okonkwo,Gabriel Rueben,Ahmed Musa and Solomon Okpako were dropped deservedly either because of inexperience, as in the case of Akpalla,lack of quality, as in the case of Ajilore or Aluko and perhaps as a result of not playing in Europe, as in the case of Eneramo.

The inclusion of two home based players,goalkeeper Bassey Akpan and defender Terna Suswan, is a plus for the local league and a ray of hope for other promising talents in the local league.

For Lagerback’s technical crew and the NFF, this is the time to get to work.The confusion over which countries to engage in friendlies before the World Cup, with names like Iceland,Saudi Arabia,South Africa,Finland et al being brandied must stop and the bigwigs of the glass house must all sit up to ensure that Nigeria’s gets the best preparatory friendlies and the right camping experience in London where the team’s World Cup training camp will open later this month so as to be able to select the best 23 for South Africa.

Mr. Lagerback, the hour has come to select Nigeria’s best! Not selecting the best may mean showing you the exit door sooner than expected. It’s time to get cracking.Eagles must fly!

Author Bio: Emmanuel Ayomide-Praise(formerly Emmanuel Effiong) is a world class internet salesman,journalist,author,blogger,speaker and entreprenuer from Nigeria. He began his career in 1999 becoming perhaps Nigeria’s youngest tv/radio sports analyst featuring on such programmes as Milo World Of Sports on Raypower 100.5FM, Nigeria 99 special with Segun Odegbami on AIT(during the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Nigeria in 1999), AM Sports on AIT with Mitchell Obi and Ejiro Omonode and several other sports shows on AIT/Raypower and the now defunct Raypower 2(106.5FM), in patnership with BBC London spanning a period of two years. In January 2002, he became Nigeria’s youngest ever gainfully employed sports journalist and newspaper reporter, working with Nigeria’s biggest sports publishing concern,Complete Communications Ltd, publishers of Complete Football,Complete Sports and Sports Souvenir(rested) and left in April 2003 to pursue other interests. An entrepreneur per excellence, he is now involved in internet marketing,sports,media,blogging,publishing and speaking amongst others. He is the founder and editor of http://www.soccernigeriablog.com, Nigeria’s number one online soccer portal.

Category: Sports
Keywords: soccer, nigeria, soccer nigeria, nigeria soccer, super eagles,global soccer, world soccer,football,