The list of players who will represent Nigeria in Saturday’s friendly game against Algeria have been made public by coach of the team Jose Peseiro.
In the list, there was a first time call up for Raphael Onyedika of Belgium side Club Brugge but the main talk in the list was the decision to hand a recall to several players who have been out of the squad for a while.
Top of the list is Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma who famously turned down the chance to be at the Africa Cup of Nations after getting a late call up to replace the Injured Leon Balogun.
He demanded to be a regular which he wasn’t given any form of guarantee by then interim coach Austine Eguavoen. He hasn’t gotten a look in since then until Saturday when his name was in the 25 man list.
The decision to hand a recall to the 27 year old was reached in agreement with Eguavoen, whom we understand suggested his inclusion on the strength of the fact that no Nigerian defender has played more games than him since the start of the year.
Excited by his game time, Peseiro got across to him and promised him a fair chance to stake a claim in the team for a regular berth. It was on the strength of those words that he decided to renege on his decision to quit international football.
