TheCable

Nigeria’s U-20 coach, Samson Siasia, has selected 18 players for the African U-23 Championship final round, first leg qualifier against Congo on Sunday.

Umar Aminu and Musa Yahaya lead the new faces joining the regulars like goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel, Oghenekaro Etebor, Taiwo Awoniyi, Azubuike Okechukwu, Erhun Obanor, Godwin Saviour to tackle the Red Devils at the Adokiye Amiesieamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.

Siasia urged those who did not make the 18-man list not to feel bad, but to see it as a challenge to up their game and make future lists. He had other words for those who did.

“I want to charge those of you selected to see this as a rare privilege knowing that millions of Nigerians are banking on you to put smiles on their faces come Sunday,” he told thenff.com.

“I have the confidence that you guys can beat Congo, but all that will depend on you guys showing that on the field of play.

“The Nigeria Football Federation and the Rivers State government have done so much for us to make us win, so it’s now left for us to let them know that we are true ambassadors of our country.”

Meanwhile, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers state has promised the players the sum of $100,000 (about N24 million) if they are able to defeat Congo by three un-replied goals in the match.

The governor made this promise on Friday when he led some members of the state’s executive council to pay the team morale-boosting visit, explaining that the sum of $30,000 would be paid for every goal.

THE 18-MAN LIST

Daniel Emmanuel

Chukwuebuka Iroha

Stanley Amuzie

Azubuike Okechukwu

Segun Oduduwa

Obanor Erhun

Godwin Saviour

Etebor Oghenekaro

Junior Ajayi

Usman Mohammed

Etor Daniel

Yusuf Mohammed

Sadiq Atanda

Chima Akas

Austin Oladapo

Taiwo Awoniyi

Aminu Umar

Musa Yahaya