Kofi Dankwa has been named in Niger's final AFCON squad

Niger have named a final 23-man squad for the AFCON after they dropped three players including Asec Mimosas midfielder Mohammed Wonkoye.

The others are Idi Sabiou of Akokona and Ibrahim Benjamin, who is a midfielder with AS Garde Nationale.

Niger FA technical director Garba Lawali informed MTNFootball.com of the dropping of the three players.

“We are now flying to South Africa with our final 23-man squad for the Nations Cup,” Lawali informed.

This means Nigerian-born defender Lucky James, who has yet to be capped by Niger could well make his international debut in South Africa. He was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Togo in an AFCON warm-up game in Niamey.

Skipper Moussa Maazou, who features for Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel, will therefore lead a squad of players who were also at the 2012 Nations Cup in Gabon.

These players include the experienced Issoufou Alhassane ‘Dante’, Daouda Kassaly, Mohammed Chicoto, Kofi Dankwa, Williams N’Gonou, Issiakou Koudize and Issoufou Boubacar.

The full squad:

Goalkeepers: Daouda Kassaly (Chippa United/South Africa), Saminou Rabo (Sahel SC), Moussa Alzouma (AS Garde Nationale)

Defenders: Mohammed Chicoto (AS Marsa/Tunisia), Koffi Dankowa (Esperance Zarzis/Tunisia), Mohamed Soumaila (Olympic Niamey), Mohamed Bachar (AS Douane), Kourouma Fatogoma (Chabab/ Morocco), Lucky James (AS Douane), Ismael Alassane, Kader Amadou (Olympic Niamey)

Midfielders: Karim Konaté (without club), Idrissa Laouali (Mangasport/Gabon), Issiakou Koudizé (AS Garde Nationale), Babacar Talatou (AmaZulu/South Africa), Williams N’Gonou (LB 07/Sweden), Souleymane Sakou (Olympic Niamey), Amadou Mountari (Le Mans/France), Issoufou Boubacar (without club)

Strikers: Moussa Maazou (Etoile du Sahel/Tunisia), Kamilou Daouda (JS Saoura/Algeria), Modibo Sidibé (without club), Issoufou Danté (Wydad Fès/Morocco)