The Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Gbenga Elegbeleye, has congratulated the 30 players invited to camp by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) ahead of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers against Ghana.
The team, under the guidance of Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen, is preparing for the qualifiers to secure a spot in next year’s CHAN finals. The tournament, exclusively for players in their domestic leagues with standard contracts, is scheduled to take place in February 2025 across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Elegbeleye reminded the players of their role as ambassadors of the NPFL, urging them to deliver their best to restore Nigeria’s prominence in African football.
“As the best from the NPFL, you are expected to not only excel in the qualifiers but also compete for the title in the finals,” the NPFL Chairman said.
The squad includes seasoned players like Rabiu Ali of Kano Pillars, who has scored eight goals this season, as well as Remo Stars’ goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, Rivers United defender Steven Mayo, and Abia Warriors forward Sunday Megwo. Other notable players include Enyimba goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, Remo Stars wing-back Ismail Sadiq, Enugu Rangers midfielder Kazeem Ogunleye, and Nasarawa United forward Anas Yusuf.
Victor Collins, the Nasarawa United defender recently called up for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, and Plateau United’s Adamu Abubakar also made the list.
The players are expected to report to the Remo Stars Sports Institute in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, on Wednesday, 4th December 2024. The team will train ahead of the first leg of the qualification match against Ghana’s Black Stars B at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, 22nd December. The return leg is scheduled for Saturday, 28th December, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.