After 10 months and 10 matches Super Eagles coach Berti Vogts has finally placed his faith in 23 players he hopes will bring him glory at the Nations Cup kicking off in Ghana next weekend.
Vogts, who officially took charge of the Eagles last March, has played 10 matches during his stint using a sizeable number of players before deciding on those he believes are good enough to finally end the nation's bronze place finishing at the continent's biggest football event.
In settling for three goalkeepers, seven defenders, six midfielders and seven strikers, the former German international decided to leave out Mannasseh Ishiaku and Yusuf Ayila from his Ghana-bound team.
It was particularly heartbreaking for Ishiaku, because his goal scoring heroics against Sudan on Wednesday apparently cut no ice with the Eagles coach.
Ayila, one of the nation's better players at the last Nations Cup in Egypt, apparently lost out due to his long injury lay off.
Vogts had promised to hand over his squad list to the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) at 5pm and he kept to his word in naming the squad in which all the 'big boys' made it.
The biggest winner is Levski Sofia's Richard Eromoigbe, whose versatility - he can play at both right back and central midfield - may have won him a place ahead of Ayila.
Obinna Nsofor and Ike Uche squeezed their way into the squad for the showpiece, as Vogts apparently opted for pace and trickery ahead of brawn.
However, acutely aware of the importance of experience Vogts is also relying on the bulk of the players that have appeared in previous competitions.
For instance Nwankwo Kanu, who is the captain, will be making his fifth consecutive Nations Cup appearance - tying the record of the late Muda Lawal. The Portsmouth star made his debut at the competition in 2000, when the event was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria.
During this time, the hero of Nigeria's Atlanta'96 triumph has won one silver and three bronze medals.
Coming after Kanu in terms of Nations Cup experience are Joseph Yobo and Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who both made their debuts at Mali 2002.
Seyi Olofinjana, Obinna Nwaneri, Osaze Odemwingie, John Utaka, Austin Ejide and Vincent Enyeama were all part of the Eagles that lost to the hosts in the semi-finals.
Making their debuts at the premier competition are Danny Shittu, Rabiu Afolabi, Onyekachi Apam, Onyekachi Okonkwo, Ike Uche, Dickson Etuhu, Richard Eromoigbe and Ifeanyi Emeghara.
In settling for the squad Vogts clearly had an eye on not just doing well in Ghana but also on the future, which is why such a sizeable number are fresh faces in the continent's top football competition.
Vogts' is contracted till 2010 and believes that with a few adjustments the squad he has settled for should become a major force by then.
The Eagles are scheduled to launch their Ghana 2008 campaign with a tricky tie against Egypt 2006 runners up Cote d'Ivoire on January 21 in Sekondi.
And although the weather in Malaga is not as cold as being made to be, Vogts still realises the importance of allowing the players get used to the hotter weather of West Africa, which has prompted him to cut short the time the team will spend in southern Spain preparing.
According to the original plan the Eagles were to have left on the 19th with a brief stop over in Abuja before heading on to Sekondi. Now the team will be leaving on the 15th and heading straight to Ghana.
The team under Vogts has a good track record heading into the competition with just two defeats (to Uganda and Australia) in the 10 games they have played since he took charge last March.
Millions of Nigerians will be praying that the Eagles are able to keep it up during the three-week tournament in which Mali and Benin are their other foes in Sekondi.
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