Flying Eagles’ Head Coach, Manu Garba, on Wednesday said his team would not miss the services of the overseas-based duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidiebere Nwakali in Senegal.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the players have been ruled out of the 2015 African Youth Championship in March in Senegal.
This was as a result of their inability to join the team’s pre-competition camp in Kaduna, after their clubs informed the Nigeria Football Federation this week of their unavailability.
Garba however told NAN that the players would not be missed because the technical crew has replacement for them in the team.
He said: “If they (the players’ clubs) say they are not going to release the boys (Iheanacho and Nwakali), then that is on the basis of the club’s rules.
“On our own part, we always have players who are ready to replace any player that is not released by his club.
“They (the clubs) have the right to keep the players, but on a normal basis they are supposed to have a good relationship with the NFF.”
The coach said Nigeria was not short of local talents who could fill the void in the absence of their overseas-based teammates.
“We do not have an automatic shirt for any overseas-based player. That is why they won’t be missed,” Garba told NAN.
NAN reports that English Premier League champions, Manchester City, had informed the NFF that it would not be releasing the two players for the championship, which comes up in March.
Both players were among nine foreign-based invited to camp by the Flying Eagles handlers.
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