SUPER Eagles' chief coach, Stephen Keshi, says John Utaka has shown an improved form to justify his return to the Super Eagles.Utaka was an unused substitute at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and was overlooked by Samson Siasia last year but has his name on the list of invitees among 10 foreign-based players due to prepare for crucial Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers in June.''If you follow his performance in this season's French League with Montpellier, you will realise he deserves to be given another chance,'' Keshi said.He also said experience is still on the side of Utaka.''He has been there before and it won't be difficult for him to do what is expected of him.''On Yobo Joseph who also made the list of 10 but was injured two days ago when he played for Fernabahce in the Turkish Cup final, Keshi said he was in contact with the player.''I called him a couple of hours before I addressed the press on the list of players and he told me that the club doctors were working on him and that hopefully he would be fit for our games in June.''Osaze Odemwingie, Taye Taiwo and John Obi Mikel failed to make the list but Keshi explained that they still have a future with the national team.''This is by no means shutting them out completely from the team, what we've just done is to look further across Europe and come up with a set of players who are commanding regular shirts in their respective clubs and playing full 90 minutes.'Meanwhile,SUPER Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi yesterday made public the names of eleven foreign based players to team up with their home based counterparts for next months' World Cup and Nations Cup qualifiers.Notable players missing in the invited pros are Chelsea's Mikel Obi, Osaze Odemwingie of West Bromwich Albion and Queens Park Rangers defender Taye Taiwo.Keshi was said to have snubbed Mikel since the midfielder was yet to respond to the coach's demand that he declare his readiness to feature for the Eagles while his reason for ommitting left back, Taiwo was not known.Odemwingie will be getting married around the time Nigeria battle Namibia and Malawi in 2014 World Cup qualifying matches as well as a 2013 Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda, hence the decision of the coach to leave him out of the squad.As widely speculated, goalkeeper Austin Ejide, Efe Ambrose made their way back alongside striker John Utaka whose recall may spark off controversy.Menwhile, the 11 foreign based players according to Keshi will team up with the 18 players to be selected from the Nigeria Premier League for the team which is due to fly out this weekend for a friendly against Peru in Lima..Nigeria will host Namibia in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on June 3 in Calabar, before travelling to Malawi for a continuation of the qualifying series the next weekend after which the Eagles will host Rwanda in a second leg qualifier for the 2013 nations Cup to be hosted by South Africa.The full list of the invited pros are ; Goalkeepers : Vincent Enyeama (Lille/FRA), Austin Ejide (Petach Tikva/ISR)Defenders: Joseph Yobo (Fenerbache/TUR), Efe Ambrose (Ashdod/ISR), Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Braga/POR)Midfielder: Fengor Ogude (Valrenga/NOR)Strikers: Ike Uche (Granada/SPA), Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Sone Aluko (Glasgow Rangers/SCO), John Utaka (Montpellier/FRA), Victor Moses (Wigan Athletic/ENG).Meanwhile,SUPER Eagles captain Joseph Yobo has declared himself fit for the team's busy schedules next month, assuring coach Stephen Keshi and Nigerians that there is no fear as far as his fitness is concerned.Yobo was yesterday named by Keshi among an 11-strong Europe-based contingent to prosecute the games next month but concerns about his fitness trailed the announcement as it emerged that he had picked up an injury in Fenerbahce's Cup game on Wednesday night.Yobo was quick to dispel the fears in a phone call to the coach on Thursday where he informed Keshi that his club medical staff had assured him he would be fit ahead of the Namibia battle.
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