Keshi plans for Iheanacho, Alampasu

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has a big interest in  the future of  UAE 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup winners  Kelechi  Iheanacho, Dele Alampasu and Taiwo Awoniyi, our correspondent has learned.

Keshi on  Thursday named Golden Eaglets striker  Iheanacho,  goalkeeper Alampasu  and Awoniyi in his 30-man squad for camping ahead  of  the African Nations Championship in South Africa next month.

The Super Eagles are drawn alongside  South Africa, Mali and Mozambique in Group A at the tournament for players plying their trade in their  countries. The competition kicks off on
   January 11, 2014.

Iheanacho won the Golden Ball of UAE 2013 after scoring six goals while   Alampasu, who won  the tournament’s  Golden  Gloves (Best Goalkeeper award),    made some instinctive saves  in the competition to help the Eaglets claim the title for the fourth time.
Keshi has ruled out the victorious Under-17 team players from his 23-man squad for  next year’s World Cup in Brazil but reports say the former Nigeria captain  decided to invite the trio  to camp ahead of CHAN (African Nations Championship) to take a close look at them.
“The invitation will offer Keshi and his coaching staff the opportunity to assess them,” a source told our correspondent during the week.
“Keshi believes they are quality  players and wants to monitor their progress. He also wants to find out  if they are ready to step onto the big stage.
“But they won’t be included in  the World Cup squad because they are very young and you need more mature  players  to play in such a big  tournament.”
Keshi insisted on Tuesday that  Iheanacho was  not in his plan  for World Cup.
“I quite agree that Kelechi is a fine player but the fact remains that he has just started and should be given time to mature,” he was quoted as saying during the week.
“People should also not forget that every player that aspires to participate in the World Cup must not only be active in a club, but also be on top of his form.
“Kelechi has no club at the moment and I think this is what should dominate his attention, rather than being distracted by calls for his invitation to the senior national team.”
Eagles goalkeeping coach Ike Shorunmu said Alampasu’s call-up would afford him the opportunity to gain experience.
The Ghana/Nigeria 2000 Africa Cup of Nations silver medallist maintains that the  16-year-old  keeper  “is too young to make it into the Eagles’ first team, saying “he  should wait for his time”.
“I watched Alampasu closely during the Under-17 World Cup and he really impressed me,” Shorunmu said.
“He’s one for the future and we have to guide him. He needs to grow before being considered for a role in the senior national team.
“Training with the CHAN squad will help his career development because it is a different level. If he’s focused  and disciplines himself, he will become the country’s number one in the future.”