Keshi will Name Eagles’ Squad on Saturday against Liberia

Stephen Keshi

Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi has disclosed that he would on Saturday release the list of home-based players that would be part of the 8 September South Africa 2013 Nations Cup qualifier against the Lone Star of Liberia in Monrovia.
The former Hawks of Togo coach said he would prune the number of home-based players in the team to complement the 11 foreign-based players earlier invited for the crucial encounter. stating that he would only pick the best.
According to him “I would release the final list of players that would be part of my plans for the Liberia clash on Saturday because I want a very formidable team”.
Meanwhile, he said the exclusion of Chelsea midfielder,  Mikel Obi from his list of foreign-based players for the clash was not based on sentiment.
Keshi noted that he and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF have no problem as reported by the media.
The coach said that he and Mikel had an understanding, adding that the Chelsea of England player called him all the time.
“I told him, if you come you must give me 100 per cent but we might be playing on the artificial turf, and he said the turf idea was not so good but that I should let him talk to his doctor.
“He  called me back four days later and said, ‘Coach, I don’t think I can play because of the turf, please if there is any other game, I will like to come’.
“I said okay, since we have another match in October, we can bring him in but that is not a guarantee,” Keshi said.
The Super Eagles handler explained that Osaze’s case was entirely different from Mikel’s, claiming that Osaze never responded to his calls.
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