KESHI DENIES RIFT WITH MIKEL

Keshi
Super Eagles' Head Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, has dispelled news making the rounds that he has an axe to grind with Chelsea's midfielder, John Mikel Obi, hence his non-inclusion in the team that will battle Rwanda next Wednesday.

Team's Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, quoted Keshi as saying: 'This camp is a national team's camp of love and not of hate, how can a father like me quarrel with a son like Mikel.

The young man is full of talent and is a player who has several years left in him, but he was just coming back from an injury lay-off and we thought it wise to leave him to settle down before we call on him again to come and fight for his fatherland'.

Keshi pleaded with the media, whom he said were partners in progress to always cross-check facts with the appropriate quarters before going on air or publishing them.

Another issue that Keshi also took time off to clear was the alleged injury to returnee midfielder, Sanni Kaita. Keshi said Kaita was not injured and had been playing regularly for his club, urging those in doubt to call on his Russian club to find out details. 'We have taken time to select the best for the national team and we find Kaita to be one of them, those who say he's injured should call his club to find out the truth, from our end we have a fully fit Kaita ready to represent his fatherland'.

Similarly, Keshi has said that he would pick 11 home-based players to join the 11 foreign based players earlier announced last week for the trip to Kigali Rwanda for the Nations Cup qualifier.

As at yesterday afternoon, 21 players were in camp, following the arrival of Kwara United's Barnabas Imenger and Akwa United Solomon Jabason to boost the 19 players who have been sweating it out for shirts for the battle in Kigali .