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Goalkeepers
|
Player
|
Team, Age, Caps
|
Abiodun Baruwa
|
(FC Sion, Switzerland), age 23, 3 caps.
|
Somewhat unsteady goalkeeper who played for Shooting Stars in
Nigeria before moving to Switzerland last year. A squad member
at the Atlanta Olympic in 1996 where Nigeria won gold.
|
|
William Okpara
|
(Orlando Pirates, South Africa), 29, 5 caps.
|
South African-based goalkeeper who helped his club win the
African Champions' Cup three years ago. Was on the fringes of
the squad but is now a serious contender for the number one
spot.
|
|
Peter Rufai
|
(Deportivo La Coruna, Spain), 34, 45 caps.
|
Among
the longest-serving of all Nigeria's players, having made his
international debut 15 years ago. Played at the last World Cup
finals in the United States having been ignored by successive
coaches for several years.
|
|
Ike Shorunmu
|
(FC Zurich, Switzerland), 30, 10 caps.
|
Tall,
competent keeper who is having his best season yet in
Switzerland. Played in just one of the World Cup qualifiers.
|
|
Defenders
|
Player
|
Team, Age, Caps
|
Celestine Babayaro
|
(Chelsea, England), 19, 6 caps.
|
A broken
leg in the early part of the season and his subsequent inability
to win a first-team place at his English club might cost
Babayaro a World Cup place.
|
|
Austin Eguavoen
|
(Torpedo Moscow, Russia), 32, 52 caps.
|
Right-back with a brutish physical presence whose national team
career has been more illustrious that his club career in
Belgium, Spain and now Russia.
|
|
Uche Okafor
|
(Kansas City Wizards, United States), 30, 33 caps.
|
A squad member at the World Cup four years ago but
battling now to win a place in the starting line-up. Was an
inaugural member of the foreign legion signed to brighten up
Major League Soccer in the U.S.
|
|
Uche Okechukwu
|
(Fenerbahce, Turkey), 30, 41 caps.
|
Stand-in
captain who is the rock of the Nigerian defense. Has won
numerous titles at club level and was one of the over-age
players in the Olympic gold medal-winning team two years ago.
|
|
Godwin Okpara
|
(Strasbourg, France), 25, 6 caps.
|
Gained
prominence after moving from the obscurity of Aalst in Belgium
to France. Can play in both defense and midfield.
|
|
Patrick Paschal
|
(Genclerbirligi, Turkey), 21, 1 cap.
|
Making
a late charge for a place in the squad. A member of the under-23
squad in Atlanta two years ago but didn't play.
|
|
Taribo West
|
(Inter Milan, Italy), 24, 8 caps.
|
Spectacular
and popular lion-hearted defender who is chasing the Italian
title in his first season in Serie A. Began his career at
Auxerre in France and was a gold medal-winner at the Atlanta
Olympics.
|
|
Midfielders
|
Player
|
Team, Age, Caps
|
Mutiu Adepoju
|
(Real Sociedad, Spain), 27, 35 caps.
|
Unheralded midfielder who has been a regular international since
graduating from the under-20 team that reached the World Youth
Cup final in Saudi Arabia in 1989. Has played for four Spanish
clubs in his career.
|
|
Finidi George
|
(Real Betis, Spain), 28, 36 caps.
|
Nigeria's
potential match-winner with his explosive wing play. A European
Cup winner with Ajax Amsterdam before lucrative move to Spain.
|
|
Garba Lawal
|
(Roda JC Kerkrade, Netherlands), 23 (24 on May 22), 3 caps.
|
Made his debut during the World Cup qualifiers and
helped his club win last year's Dutch Cup final. Another
graduate from the gold-medal Olympic team.
|
|
Stephen Musa
|
(Saarbrucken, Germany), 23, 0 caps.
|
A surprise
selection in coach Bora Milutinovic's squad for the April
friendly against Germany. Plays in the third division in
Germany.
|
|
Augustine Okocha
|
(Fenerbahce, Turkey), 24, 26 caps.
|
Midfield
playmaker whose deceptive languid style and apparent
indifference has often come back to haunt opponents. A teenage
sensation in the German Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt
before a dispute with the coach saw him leave for Turkey.
|
|
Sunday Oliseh
|
(Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), 23, 22 caps.
|
One of Africa's finest footballing products, able to play either
a destroyer role in midfield or a perfect passing game. Recent
winner of the Dutch championship where he seems to have found
his niche after disappointing seasons in Italy and Germany.
|
|
Wilson Oruma
|
(Lens, France), 21, 4 caps.
|
Has had a fine
season in helping his unfashionable French club to the brink of
an unexpected championship win. Scored in the World Cup
qualifiers against Kenya.
|
|
Forwards
|
Player
|
Team, Age, Caps
|
Jonathan Akpoborie
|
(VfB Stuttgart, Germany), 29, 8 caps.
|
A
run of almost 15 games without a goal in the Bundesliga has
jeopardized his chances of making the starting line-up for the
opening game against Spain in Nantes on June 13 but has chance
to shine in European Cup Winners' Cup final.
|
|
Emmanuel Amunike
|
(Barcelona, Spain), 27, 25 caps.
|
Battling
against time to recover from injury to make the World Cup. Hero
of Nigeria's win at the 1994 African Nations' Cup. Has scored
seven goals for his country.
|
|
Daniel Amokachi
|
(Besiktas, Turkey), 25, 43 caps.
|
Dynamic,
powerful striker who scored at the last World Cup finals and
will be expected to produce more of the same in France.
Previously with Everton in England and FC Bruges of Belgium.
|
|
Tijani Babangida
|
(Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), 24, 4 caps.
|
Has slowly worked his way into national team reckoning after a
slow rise to prominence in the Netherlands. First played at VVV
Venlo, then Roda JC Kerkrade before moving last summer to Ajax
Amsterdam.
|
|
Victor Ikpeba
|
(Monaco, France), 24 (25 on June 12), 15 caps.
|
The reigning African Footballer of the Year who helped French
club Monaco into the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.
Has only just forced a place in the Super Eagles starting
line-up after years on the bench.
|
|
Nwankwo Kanu
|
(Inter Milan, Italy), 21, 7 caps.
|
Has bravely
recovered from heart surgery to return to active soccer but is
still struggling to recapture the form that saw him named
African Footballer of the Year in 1996. Captain and goal scoring
hero of the Olympic team in Atlanta.
|
|
James Obiorah
|
(Anderlecht, Belgium), 19, 0 caps.
|
Touted two
years ago as the new hope of African soccer after making a
teenage debut with the Belgian club but has lost the impetus and
seen limited league action this season.
|
|
Christopher Ohenhen
|
(Compostela, Spain), 27, 1 cap.
|
Signed by
Real Madrid eight years ago but made his name in front of goal
for unfashionable Compostela. Had previously rejected national
team call-ups to concentrate on his club career.
|
|
Rachidi Yekini
|
(FC Zurich, Switzerland), 34, 63 caps.
|
Making
a comeback into contention for the squad after a deluge of goals
in the Swiss league. Nigeria's all-time leading scorer with 23
goals, known as the Kaduna Bull for his strong physical presence.
|