Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has released six players out of the 22 in camp, to their various club sides ahead of this weekend’s Nigerian Premier League games.
Ben Alaiya, Super Eagles Media Officer, in a statement on Friday in Abuja said that the players were released onThursday night.
Alaiya added that the release effectively ruled out the six players from those likely to make the team to play Rwanda in Kigali on Feb. 29 in the 2013 African Nations Cup qualifier.
The officer quoted Keshi as saying that the released players would be recalled for two upcoming friendlies being planned by the Nigeria Football Association for the month of April.
Those released are Henry Uche of Enyimba International, Heartland’s trio of Uche Oguchi, Kingsley Salami and Kabir Umar, Osasco Omoma of Sunshine Stars and Niger United’s Daniel Essien.
“It was a painful decision, but it must be done for the sake of the nation and because we have our brothers coming from Europe.
“But it is not to say the players are not good, they are very okay.
“We will call upon them soon again when we have friendlies lined up for the national team,” Keshi said while releasing the players.
The players have since left camp for their various clubs.
The coach promised that he would continue to monitor the players for discipline and how regularly they feature for their teams.
According to Keshi, this will form the basis of their recall to the national team.
Meanwhile, the 16 players left in camp have intensified the battle for shirts in the national camp, with no one showing signs of dropping out for the other.
Players still in camp were Chigozie Agbim, Okemuteh Odah, Godfrey Oboabona, Juwon Oshaniwa, Papa Idris, Azubuike Egwueke, Gabriel Reuben, Uche Ossai and? Sunday Mba.
Others were Bathlomew Ibenegbu, Barnabas Imenger, Obinna Nwachukwu, Izu Azuka, Ejike Uzoenyi, Solomon Jabason, and Uche Kalu.
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