Nigeria national squad for Malta training camp

Nigeria coach Shuaibu Amodu has left out Portsmouth striker John Utaka from a squad that will fly out from Lagos to Malta this weekend ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Tunisia.

Utaka, who returned to the national team during last month's friendly against Ireland in London, is one of several players dropped from the squad.

The other players are Yusuf Ayila, of Dynamo Kiev, Chidi Odiah, of CSKA Moscow, Sone Aluko, of Aberdeen, as well as Bayelsa United's Chibuzo Okonkwo.

Odiah said he was unhappy by the manner he was dropped.

"I am not happy, not because I was told to go but because I should have been informed of this decision a lot earlier," said the defender.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have insisted that Amodu travels out with a squad of only 23 players, as opposed to all 30 players who trained with the team prior to the last qualifier against Kenya.

The Nigeria training camp will be conducted at the Hibs Ground. The squad flies out to Tunisia on Thursday ahead of the World Cup qualifier at the November 7 Stadium in Tunis, today week.

At present, Tunisia are leading the standings with six points from two matches, two points ahead of closest rivals Nigeria.

Among the most popular players in the Nigeria squad will be Portsmouth striker and Super Eagles captain Nwankwo Kanu, 32.

"The standings in our group clearly show that the match in Tunis will go a very long way in determining who qualifies for the World Cup," said Kanu, who was first capped by Nigeria in 1993.

"We all know the importance of this match. It's a do-or-die affair and we cannot afford to lose this game. We want to beat Tunisia right there in Tunis."