Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi
By Olawale Ajimotokan
Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi will this week announce the list of foreign-based players he intends to invite for the reverse Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Liberia on October 13.
Last week, the national gaffer met with the members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Committee for their input into the list before it is made public.
The formal announcement of the list this week will be in compliance with the mandated two-week notice which national federations are expected to serve foreign clubs ahead of an international engagement before their players are released for national duty.
Having failed to reach the 2012 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, the Super Eagles will hope to make amends when the host Liberia in coastal city of Calabar.
The two sides played out a grinding 2-2 draw with Liberia in Monrovia on September 8, with the Lone Star capitalizing on a defensive slip by Nigeria in the second half to keep their hope of reaching their first Africa Cup of Nations finals since Mali 2002 alive.
We scoped Monday from reliable NFF sources that apart from John Mikel Obi, one other player who Keshi is weighing handling a recall for national engagement is in form Everton striker, Victor Anichebe.
The big forward has not been on the Eagles radar since he helped Nigeria to defeat Madagascar 2-0 in Antananarivo on September 4, 2011 in an Africa Cup of Nations 2012 qualifier, under the watch of coach Samson Siasia.
The doors of the national team have been slammed against him in the last 15 official engagements as he has never figured in the plan of Keshi since the latter was handled the national team job since late 2011.
Anichebe is said to be highly thought of by the Eagles technical crew in view of his blistering form of late which has produced two goals in as many matches in the English Premier League.
He hugged the headline by scoring after coming in as sub in the entertaining 2-2 draw at home against Newcastle last week while he added another on Saturday in the 3-0 win at Swansea.