The Nigeria Cricket Federation has called up twenty players to the men’s national team camp at the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval in Lagos.
The camp which will hold from 22 April to 3 May is in preparation for a series of international engagements by the National and Under-19 side, scheduled for the 3rd and 4th quarter of 202, the NCF said in a statement.
The players are expected to resume camp on Wednesday 21 April.
The NCF said the women’s national under-19 and senior team camp will commence immediately after the men’s camp.
Over the last two months the NCF has organised domestic competitions that allowed newly-appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager Asanka Gurusinha the opportunity to assess Nigeria’s top players.
In January, the National Under-17 Championship was conducted in Benin City where the next generations of superstars were identified. In March, the National Men’s Championship was also held which had the best players in the country on display.
The successful hosting of the National Sports Festival where cricket featured 3 events for the first time also provided the opportunity for players to be identified for the big stage.
NCF president Prof. Yahaya Adam Ukwenya expressed optimism that the outcome of the camping exercise will lead to excellent performances in the tournaments ahead.
“We expect to compete very well in these tournaments lined up and we want to start preparations early. The stakes are higher and a lot of investments have gone into this process especially with the facility constructions across the country,” he said.
The invited players feature a blend of youth and experience including the core of the record-making World Cup Under-19 squad, Under-17 players and national team regulars.
Mainstays include Chimezie Onwuzilike, Joshua Ayannaike, Sesan Adedeji, and Isaac Okpe. Others are Peter Aho, Sylvester Okpe, Runsewe Sulaimon and Samuel Mba.
Complete List Of Invited Players
- Eghosa Aghedo
- Lucky Itua
- Odion Isesele
- Peter Aho
- Prosper Useni
- Isaac Okpe
- Sylvester Okpe
- Abolarin Rasheed
- Samuel Mba
- Chimezie Onwuzilike
- Joshua Ayannaike
- Mustapha Yusuf
- Ovais Yusuf
- Ridwan Abdukareem
- Taiwo Mohanmmed
- Segun Ogundipe
- Sesan Adedeji
- Elijah Olaleye
- Suleimon Runsewe
- Vincent Adewoye
