Gift Orban joins the race to Paris 2024 Olympics
Gift Orban gets Nigeria U-23 call up to the Olympics Eagles side
By Rasheed Adewuyi
Head Coach Salisu Yusuf has invited 16 oversea-based players to the team’s camp in preparation for this month’s U23 AFCON final qualifying fixture against Guinea including in form KAA Gent of Belgium’s Gift Orban.
The Olympic Eagles trade tackles with Guinean in a first leg qualifying encounter scheduled for the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja from 4pm on Wednesday, March 22.
The reverse fixture is set for the Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan from 7 pm Morocco time on Tuesday, 28th March as Guinea does not have any venue approved in the country for international football events.
Yusuf’s list of invitees is headed by team captain Success Makanjuola, whose two converted spot kicks against Tanzania earned the 1996 Olympic gold-medallists passage to this final round.
Also, midfielders Abiodun Ogunniyi and Bello Babatunde, and Belgium-based current news headliner, Orban, are included in the team.
Makanjuola leads the charge against Guinea in Abuja on Wednesday as he also did against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam and Ibadan last October, perhaps side-by-side with Orban, with Babatunde and Ogunniyi (nicknamed Omo-Jesu) pulling the strings from the middle.
The winner on aggregate qualifies for the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations scheduled for Morocco later this year, at which Africa’s flag bearers at next year’s Men’s Olympic Football Tournament will emerge.
Guinea’s delegation for the encounter in Abuja is expected to arrive in Nigeria on Saturday evening.
ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:
Success Makanjuola (FK Liepaja, Latvia); Bello Babatunde (Future FC, Egypt); Isaiah Ejeh (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Abiodun Ogunniyi (FK Auda, Latvia); Monsuru Opeyemi Abdullahi (FC Vizela, Portugal); Omole Akinyinka Olaoluwakitan (Athletic Newham, UK); Owen Tega Udoh (UD San Sebastian Reyes, Spain); Azeez Temitope Yusuf (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Charles Uba (Lillestrom FC, Norway); Simon Omon (Clube Operation Desportivo, Portugal); Ihekuna Maximillian Ugochukwu (FC Sfintul Gheorghe Suruceni, Moldova); Chukwudi Goodluck Igbokwe (KAA Gent, Belgium); Abass Saidi (Zagalata FC, Azerbaijan); Ibrahim Buhari (IF Elfsborg, Sweden); Gift Emmanuel Orban (KAA Gent, Belgium); Samuel Amadi (Eramica Cleopatra, Egypt)
