Yobo doubtful for Eagles after missing Malta trip

Super Eagles vice-captain could be a major doubt for Saturday's crucial World Cup qualifier against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia following his inability to make the trip to the national team's training camp in Malta.

The Everton defender alongside the duo of John Utaka and goalie Dele Aiyenugba had problems securing visas to Malta and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the players will now fly straight to Tunis with assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi, on Wednesday ahead of the match scheduled for the November 7 Stadium in Rades.

It meant Yobo and his Eagles colleagues would miss the entire build-up for the game as they will arrive Tunisia earlier than Thursday afternoon, the same day Coach Shuaibu Amodu and the rest of the team will jet in from Malta.

Amodu has the quintet of Danny Shittu, Dele Adeleye, Sam Sodje, Obinna Nwaneri and Onyekachi Apam, who are all currently in Malta, available for selection in the central defence position, and only two of them will get the nod to start against the Carthage Eagles.

And it will be surprising to see the Eagles coach opting for Yobo after dropping the former Olympic Marseille defender, Taye Taiwo, and John Mikel Obi against Kenya following their failure to take part in the international friendlies with Ireland and France.

Amodu kept faith with the duo of Adeleye and Sodje for the Harambee Stars' game and insisted he fielded his strongest side when asked if he was experimenting with the new players.

Yobo will need to convince the head coach if he hopes to be restored into the team, but it may be difficult to do that in less than 48 hours before the Tunisia game as Amodu may have narrowed down on his team selection options.