Cybereagles

Competing nations will have to submit a 30-man preliminary squad to FIFA in mid-May. They will then have until the first week of June to trim their teams to 23 players, which must include three goalkeepers.

A player from the final squad can be replaced up to 24 hours prior to his country’s first group game if he suffers a serious injury.

For those of you with issues reading English, what this means is that the die is cast, and it is too late to include anyone else to the current preliminary list. If someone is injured, their replacement must be chosen from this 30 man list.

So how about you stop the exercise in futility over this Kelechi Nwakali issue. He is not going to Russia, and he is not the only talented player not going...case closed!

Pretty sure he will have his chance though, especially after his performance yesterday. So be patient.

For those of you that forgot,...here is the list of eligible players that might end up in Russia.

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba), Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United, South Africa), Dele Ajiboye (Plateau United);

Defenders: Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor, Turkey), Tyronne Ebuehi (ADO Den Haag, the Netherlands), Olaoluwa Aina (Hull City, England), Elderson Echiejile (Cercle Brugge, Belgium), Bryan Idowu (Amkar Perm, Russia), Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes, France), William Ekong (Bursaspor, Turkey), Leon Balogun (Mainz, Germany), Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa, Turkey), Stephen Eze (Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Bulgaria);

Midfielders: Mikel John Obi (Tianjin Teda, China PR), Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England), Oghenekaro Etebo (Las Palmas, Spain), John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel), Uche Agbo (Standard Liege), Joel Obi (Torino, Italy), Mikel Agu (Bursaspor, Turkey);

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England), Moses Simon (Gent, Belgium), Victor Moses (Chelsea, England); Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai, China PR), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal, England), Junior Lokosa (Kano Pillars); Simeon Nwankwo (Crotone, Italy).

Addendum:

Apparently FIFA adjusted their rules in February as follows:

Squads
Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup squads
Each team must first name a preliminary squad of 35 players. From the preliminary squad, the team must name a final squad of 23 players (three of whom must be goalkeepers) by the FIFA deadline. Players in the final squad may be replaced due to serious injury up to 24 hours prior to kickoff of the team's first match, where the replacement players do not need to be in the preliminary squad.[30]

For players named in the 35 player preliminary squad, there is a mandatory rest period between 21 and 27 May 2018, except for those involved in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final played on 26 May.[31]

Initially the preliminary squads were to have 30 players but, in February 2018, it was announced that the number of players to be named in the provisional squads would be increased to 35.[32]

So the only way to get into the WC squad at this point is if there is a serious injury and a viable replacement is not on the preliminary squad. So there is a chance (although a morbid one) that players like Nwakali might make the Russia 23 squad.

I really liked what I saw yesterday and I wish he was in the 30/35 man list. But I still believe that we need to let this kid be. Chances are he is not going anyway (hopefully as nobody wants anybody to miss out on injury). He will have his chances in the very near future.

How much longer do we need to keep flogging this dead horse?

The best player is always the untested player on this site. Folks are never happy with the players on the team even if they're beating everyone 10-0. They'll still want to swap out all the tried and tested players (who are currently in a winning side) and replace them with relative unknowns who are supposedly now the best based on one good game they played for their club.

The Simi Nwanwkwo hype don go away already.

Rohr knew about K. Nwakali's abilities and talents. He was playing regularly for his Dutch team, yet he submitted only a 30-man list that had midfielders like Agu and Agbo who we all know will not make the final 23, and have no prospect of displacing the others ahead of them.

Kelechi no dey go wc. Make Una stop. You people like to spend energy on things Una no fit change

So essentially, Nwakali can only go to the World Cup if we have a serious injury. Hmmmm. By the way, can Rohr not add five more names to his original squad to make it 35? Will Fifa reject this new list of five if he sends the names in?

Ayo Akinfe wrote:So essentially, Nwakali can only go to the World Cup if we have a serious injury. Hmmmm. By the way, can Rohr not add five more names to his original squad to make it 35? Will Fifa reject this new list of five if he sends the names in?

No he cannot and no he would not sheesh just return the guy his money and wait after World cup

john12 wrote:No he cannot and no he would not sheesh just return the guy his money and wait after World cup

He should return money. Do you have any evidence to back this up?

Ayo Akinfe wrote:So essentially, Nwakali can only go to the World Cup if we have a serious injury. Hmmmm. By the way, can Rohr not add five more names to his original squad to make it 35? Will Fifa reject this new list of five if he sends the names in?

@Ayo Akinfe: You of all people should that he CANNOT for obvious reason. Deadline for submission is long past. Unless of course you are trying to be mischievous!!