Niger coach Ezaki names squad for Morocco FIFA World Cup qualifier
Niger coach Badou Ezaki on Thursday named a 25-man selection for their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Morocco on March 21, plus a friendly that they will also play in the North African country.
Ezaki has kept faith with the majority of the squad that ended the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 4-0 win over Sudan and upset 2-1 away win over Ghana.
The squad features the Russian based defender Oumar Sako plus midfielder Ali Mohamed who competed in UEFA club competition this season with Maccabi Haifa,
There is a first call-up for the 19-year-old Zakariyaou Ibrahim, who has eight goals in Cameroon’s Elite One league this season, and for Albania-based defender Aboubacar Camara.
Niger take on Morocco in a World Cup qualifier in Oudja on March 21 and then the Caribbean nation of Bonaire in a friendly international in Casablanca on March 25.
Niger sit in second place in Group E, three points behind leaders Morocco.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Habiboulaye Hainikoye (US Gendarmerie Nationale), Mahamdou Tanja (AS Forces Armées Nigériennes), Babari Yahaya (US Gendarmerie Nationale)
Defenders: Mohamed Abdramane (AS Douanes), Abdel-Rahim Alhassane (Real Oviedo, Spain), Aboubacar Camara (FK Bylis, Albania), Abdoulnasser Garba (US Gendarmerie Nationale), Abraham Adamou Gora (US Gendarmerie Nationale), Mame Abdoul Jalil (AS Douanes), Abdoulaye Katakore (Al Entesar, Saudi Arabia), David Lebne (AS Forces Armées Nigériennes), Oumar Sako (Rostov, Russia)
Midfielders: Ousseini Badamassi (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Abdoulmoumouni Darenkoum (Al Mesaimeer, Qatar), Ali Mohamed (Maccabi Haifa, Israel), Harouna Moussa Hasssane (AS Forces Armées Nigériennes), Moussa Kassa (US Gendarmerie Nationale), Youssouf Oumarou (Al Karma, Iraq), Abdoulmajid Soumana (Al Shorta, Iraq)
Forwards: Djibrill Goumey (AS Douanes), Zakariyaou Ibrahim (Gazelle, Cameroon), Djibrilla Issa (Zira, Azerbaijan), Amoustapha Kairou (Hamrun Spartans, Malta), Chamssidine Lukmane (AS Forces Armées Nigériennes), Daniel Sosah (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rig, Ukraine)