Coach Stephen Keshi has disclosed that inviting a 35-man squad for Nigeria’s World Cup preparations will be unproductive.
With less than two months to the commencement of the quadrennial football showpiece, the former national team skipper insists that he would only call on a few players that will make the country proud.
A furious Keshi said yesterday he was not in a hurry to submit the provisional list but rather accused the committee of mounting undue pressure on him on the deadline on when to submit the list.
Keshi also said the committee was not following the right channel as he only read in the media that he was to submit a 35-man squad provisional list.
“I am not in a hurry to submit the list. First, the report was that I was to submit 40 names. Now I am hearing it is 35 players. I will only submit a list of 30 players when I am ready,” he insisted yesterday.
Nigeria will regroup in London on May 26, two days before a friendly match against Scotland at Craven Cottage.
The Eagles will play two more friendly matches against USA and Greece in America before leaving for Brazil on June.11.
“I don’t know where these stories of 35 players are coming from,” Keshi told KickOffNigeria.com
“I have less than three weeks to prepare for the World Cup and so we need to be serious because of the limited time at our disposal.
“I will only invite those who will give us what we need and I intend to make the list available at the right time,” he concluded.
Nigeria’s first game is against Iran in Curitiba on June 16 before facing Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina in Group F of the competition.
