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The magical trimming of the Super Eagles squad has been done and
the provisional squad list for the upcoming FIFA World Cup is finally out.

Forty four players had earlier been pencilled down by Super
Eagles handler Lars Lagerback from which he planned to select his team for
South Africa 2010. But weeks after unveiling that initial list, the Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF) have been unable to arrange a friendly match for the
Super Eagles to make the job of selecting the final squad for the World Cup
much easier for the Swede.

The shortcomings on the part of the NFF hasn’t however deterred
Lagerback from carrying on with the job of preparing the Super Eagles for the
World Cup, as his provisional list for the tournament was made public last
night, which was also the deadline for participating countries to submit their
provisional squad list for the tourney which gets underway on June 11.

No surprises

However, there were a few surprises. The only major surprise was
the exclusion of Seyi Olofinjana, who has been a regular fixture in the
national team for over eight years. He was not included in the list probably
due to his inability to secure a first team shirt at relegated English Premier
League side Hull City, particularly in the second half of the season. The
former Stoke City mid fielder made only 19 appearances in all competitions for
the Tigers.

However, Danny Shittu, who didn’t get to make a single
appearance all through the season for another English Premier League side,
Bolton Wanderers, and Elderson Echiejile, who only made a single appearance for
French side, Rennes, were named in the provisional squad list along with Rabiu
Afolabi who is staging a return to the Super Eagles on the back of an
impressive season with Austrian club side SV Salzburg.

Dele Adeleye, who was dropped from the team to the last African
Cup of Nations in Angola, was also included along with Portsmouth’s John Utaka
who will be fighting for a World Cup shirt along with his younger brother Peter
who has found the back of the net 28 times this season for Danish side OB
Odense.

Olubayo Adefemi, whose season with relegated French Ligue 1 side
was hampered by injuries was dropped from the list, as well as Groningen of
Holland’s Femi Ajilore, and Club Brugge of Belgium’s Joseph Akpala, who grabbed
10 goals in 42 appearances for the former Belgian champions.

Usual suspects

Most of the Nigerian-based players in the initial 44-man list
were also dropped except for Terna Suswan of Lobi Stars and Bayelsa United’s
Bassey Akpan, a goalkeeper who will now fight for the three available goal
keeping slots with ‘usual suspects’ Vincent Enyeama, Dele Aiyenugba and Austin
Ejide.

Ikechukwu Uche, and his elder brother Kalu, were included in the provisional
list as well as the France based duo of Haruna Lukman, who has had a
breakthrough season with Monaco, and former Flying Eagles star Brown Ideye of
Sochaux.