The Stoke City striker, Osaze Odemwingie is now expected to be recalled to the Super Eagles team.
The head coach, Stephen Keshi, is expected to announce his provisional squad for the 2014 Fifa World Cup this week with Odemwingie figuring in it.
The 32-year-old is being recalled after he reportedly apologised to the Nigerian national team setup including Keshi.
The striker’s recent form at Stoke City has also swayed the soccer chiefs at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to plead and convince Keshi to hand the former Lokomotiv Moscow man a recall.
“Odemwingie will be named in the plans for the World Cup. He has done the needful to earn the long-awaited recall anyway. He has apologised to the coach, the officials and the federation and right now he is playing very well at his club,” a federation official said.
In March during a round-table meeting with journalists in Lagos, Keshi had hinted that he has been in direct contact with Odemwingie and will consider him for a recall.
Keshi also insisted that Odemwingie will have to prove he can make the squad to the World Cup in Brazil while in camp with the team of players named in the provisional squad.
“He has apologised to me, the federation, my coaches and others. We’ve been talking since last year, so no problems.
“Osaze (Odemwingie) and (Ikechukwu) Uche have the same chance as every other player to be in the World Cup training camp. If they are invited, they would still have to prove during the camping that they deserve to be in the 23-man list,” Keshi said in March.
Odemwingie’s last international appearance for the African champions was in a goalless draw against Rwanda in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Stade Regional de Kigali on February 29, 2012.
Keshi will also name Ejike Uzoenyi, Azubuike Egwuekwe and Chigozie Agbim in the provisional squad.
Kunle Odunlami and Daniel Akpeyi, members of the Nigerian squad to the 2014 African Nations Championship (Chan) in South Africa, are also expected to be included in the pre-World Cup squad.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
