Rwanda must be crushed – Chukwu

Posted by admin Headlines, Soccer, Sports Monday, February 20th, 2012

By Okey Ndiribe
Former Coach and one time captain of Super Eagles Christian Chukwu has said nothing short of victory is expected from the newly assembled national squad when they file out against the Rwandan National Team on February 29 in Kigali.

Speaking to Vanguard Sports in an exclusive interview yesterday, Chukwu who was fondly called ‘Chairman’ during his playing days commended his successor Stephen Keshi for giving the home-based players a chance in the new national team he is building for Nigeria.

According to him: “The days of inviting only foreign-based professionals to play in the national team are over. Now all the players have to fight for shirts. It creates a very good ground for both local and foreign based players to compete”.

He also commended Keshi for inviting Yakubu Aiyegbeni for the February 29 cracker in Kigali adding that “Aiyegbeni is a Nigerian player who deserves to be invited to the National team even though he missed scoring a goal in a past match. He is not the only player who has missed scoring in a match. It has happened to all of us”.

It would be recalled that Keshi invited only 11foreign-based players for the Kigali tie.

Notable among players invited are power-playing forward YakubuAyegbeni and midfielder Sani Kaita.

Ayegbeni scored for Blackburn Rovers in the English Premiership on his return to action after a three-match ban at the

weekend, remains Nigeria’s most prolific striker. Kaita earned a red card for retaliation in Nigeria’s second group phase match against Greece in Bloemfontein while Ayegbeni has been

overlooked since missing a goal against the Korea in Durban that would have qualified the Super Eagles for the Round of 16 at Africa’s first World Cup finals.

Other players invited were Captain Joseph Yobo and goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama whose absence from the team was widely believed to have caused Nigeria a place in the just concluded 2012 African Cup of Nations co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Also on the list of invitees midfielders Joel Obi, Dickson Etuhu and

Victor Moses. Among the strikers invited are Ahmed Musa, Ikechukwu Uche and Osaze

Odemwingie.

NFF’s Technical Director Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme said on Thursday that the players are expected in camp on Sunday, February 26, while the Nigeria delegation to Rwanda will fly out of Abuja aboard a chartered flight on Monday, February 27. Ikpeme also explained that all the 20 home boys who travelled to Liberia will remain in camp in Abuja until Coach Stephen Keshi names his team for the Rwanda match.

-Vanguard

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