Super Eagles provisional list expected to be released this week may not be ready after all. This is as a result of the declaration by head coach, Stephen Keshi, that he would only decide when to make public his team list ahead of this year’s World Cup slated for June in Brazil.
Keshi who spoke when he visited Radio Nigeria in Abuja also hinted that the 35-man list being floated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) would not be possible as he intended to invite fewer players to enable him focus on who he wants to feature at the World Cup which is about two months away.
His recent declaration contradicted NFF’s earlier statement issued by its technical committee chairman, Barr. Chris Green, expecting Keshi to submit a provisional list of no fewer than 35 players that he is expected to defend tomorrow.
Only last week, the country’s football governing body fired a query to the Big Boss as Keshi is fondly called directing him to explain why he would proceed on leave before the day he was given approval as well as why he choose to attend a get-together in Lagos rather honour an invitation by its technical committee for a meeting.
Keshi while speaking on the number of players he intended to invite ahead of the world soccer competition, said: “I don’t know where stories that I should invite 35 players to camp are coming from. I have less than three weeks to prepare for the World Cup Finals and so we need to be serious because of the limited time at our disposal.
“Earlier, I heard that 40 players should be invited later 35. May be next time it will be 25. All the same, I will only invite those who will give us what we need. And I intend to make the list available at the right time. All those clamouring for the release of list should be patient. Have anyone heard that any country has released their own list?
“We need to be a bit careful of what we say especially in the media. World Cup is not a jamboree. Is a serious business and so we need to take it seriously”
