Keshi to pick five local stars for Amavubi clash

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has confirmed that he will pick five players from Nigeria Premier League, NPL for next year’s Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda. According to Nigeria media, Keshi told the local stars during a training session in Abuja over the weekend, “I’m telling you early now, so that you can go out there and prove to me and the rest of the technical crew that you can play better than those who we often call upon from Europe,” Keshi told the local stars during a training session in Abuja. “But the players must show the hunger that they are better than the ones who are coming from Europe and are ready to win games for Nigeria and resist showing any complex, because those who are now in Europe started from here.” The local team played its test match against non-league, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMACO) yesterday while the second match is due this evening against National League Division One club, Ranch Bees of Kaduna. Keshi said these games will afford him a second look at the players and their readiness for the task ahead. “We must get some of these boys into the main team and it’s through games like the ones ahead and the one we have played before that we can discover the ones who are ready to give Nigerians joy in the new order,” Nigeria is expected to play an international friendly match on January 7. Rwanda’s Amavubi host the Super Eagles in the first leg of the preliminary round of 2013 Africa Nations’ Cup qualifier on February 29 in Kigali. bonnie.mugabe@newtimes.co.rw

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Keshi to pick five local stars for Amavubi clash