Author: Abiodun Mohammed, Abuja

As part of efforts to nurture fledgling footballers to become future champions, the management of H-Ents FC has put measures in place to ensure the smooth commencement of activities on May 6th, 2022.

In the build up to the academy’s take off in Osogbo, Osun State, a total of 37 players were selected after undergoing a rigorous screening exercise under the supervision of the academy coaches led by Coach Lawal Abiola.

The players who also had to convince the coaches by expressing their soccer artistries in a youth football tournament tagged 2022 H-Ents Community Shield Cup consist of 5 goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 13 midfielders and 9 forwards.

The selected players are therefore expected to hit the ground running and form the core of the Academy’s first team, H-Ents FC.

More players are expected to subsequently attend the screening exercises of the team which targets players in the U-13 to U-15 and U-15 to U-20 categories.

YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

The successful ones among the new set of players will form the B-team while they jostle for places in the first team.

While speaking ahead of H-Ents Academy’s kickoff in May, Chief Executive Officer of the team, Mrs Idayat Ogunlade said the coaches have done a meticulous job by identifying the right talents from the pool of players that attended the screening, she therefore urged the successful candidates to maximise their potentials through the veritable platform they have at their disposal.

Read Also: Beach Volleyball: OmiGuard, Customs rule President Cup

Author: Busayor Olowookere, Abuja

Technical Adviser Augustine Eguavoen has called up Captain Ahmed Musa, deputy captain William Ekong, midfielder Wifred Ndidi and forwards Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho in a Super Eagles’ provisional list of 32 for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off round against the Black Stars of Ghana.

Also called up are goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Daniel Akpeyi, defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi and Abdullahi Shehu, midfielders Oghenekaro Etebo and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, and forwards Victor Osimhen, Odion Ighalo and Samuel Chukwueze.

YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

Leicester City FC of England forward Ademola Lookman, recently cleared by FIFA to switch international allegiance and former U17 World Cup star Akinkunmi Amoo are officially called for the first time, while defender Calvin Bassey and forward Emmanuel Dennis return to the fold of the three –time African champions.

2021 AFCON forwards Taiwo Awoniyi and Peter Olayinka, defender Chidozie Awaziem and long-time absentee Ogenyi Onazi are in a seven-man standby list.

The camp opens in Abuja on 21st March, with a 24 –man final list for the two big games to be released at a later date.

Nigeria take on Ghana in the 20,000 –capacity Cape Coast Sports Stadium as from 7.30pm on Friday 25th March, with the reverse leg set for the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday, 29th March as from 6pm. The winner over two legs will earn one of Africa’s five tickets to the 22nd FIFA World Cup finals, scheduled for 14th November – 18th December this year in Qatar.

FULL SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Defenders: Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)

Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Akinkunmi Amoo (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Hilal FC, Saudi Arabia); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England)

Standby: Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, Germany); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Peter Olayinka (SK Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Ogenyi Onazi (Al-Adalah FC, Saudi Arabia).

Read Also: Lionesses of the Atlas stun Cameroon’s Lionesses in Lagos

Poland will not play their World Cup qualifying play-off tie against Russia because of the nation’s recent invasion of Ukraine.

The head of Poland’s Football Association, Cezary Kulesza, tweeted: “No more words, time to act! Due to the escalation of the aggression of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, the Polish national team does not intend to play the play-off match between Poland and Russia.

Follow us on Facebook

“This is the only right decision. We are in talks with the [Swedish] and [Czech Republic] federations to present a common position to FIFA.”

Read Also: Poland Halts Afghan Airlift Over Safety as U.S Deadline Looms